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THE 


COMING    EMPIRE; 


OR, 


TWO  THOUSAND  MILES  IN  TEXAS  ON 
HORSEBACK. 


H.  R  M^DANIELD  and  K  A.  TAYLOR. 


Nunc  mihi  curto 
vel,  si  libet.usque  Tarentum, 

Horace,  Sat.  6.  Lit).  1. 


A.  S.  BARNES   &   COMPANY, 

NEW  TORE,  CHICAGO,  AKD  NEW  ORLEANS. 


BBESE 


Copyright, 
MCDANIELD    <fe    TAYLOR, 

1877. 


^^ 


©►the 
UNIVERSITY 

OF 

;;gAUFOg^ 

INTRODUCTION. 


ONE  of  the  most  entertaining  works  to  me,  is  an  account 
by  Montaigne  of  a  horse-back  trip  over  portions  of 
France,  Germany,  Switzerland  and  Italy,  in  the  year  1580, 
by  himself  and  three  or  four  of  his  select  friends.  It  is  a 
work  in  which  the  liveliness  of  the  old  Gascon  continually 
sparkles  ;  though  some  may  think  that  he  talks  too  much 
of  the  stone  in  the  bladder  with  which  he  was  then  afflicted. 
I  have  often  thought  that  if  I  should  visit  Europe,  I  would 
have  a  great  deal  of  pleasure  in  pursuing  the  route  marked 
in  his  journal :  comparing  the  people  and  the  country 
along  the  way  with  what  they  were  as  he  saw  and  described 
them  three  centuries  ago.  It  would  be,  I  judge,  a  most 
entertaining  employment  to  any  one  of  observing  turn  of 
mind  :  holding  continually  before  him  two  pictures  of  the 
same  thing  :  the  one,  delineated  by  a  master  hand,  of  what 
it  \vas  three  hundred  years  ago,  and  the  other  the  Present, 
with  its  changed  or  unchanged  conditions. 

There  the  dead  centuries  move  in  living  forms  before 
him,  and  he  may,  as  he  chooses,  pluck  a  rose  from  the 
Present,  or  put  forth  his  hand  and  gather  a  fresh  lily  from 
the  Past. 

And  so  it  may  be  that  even  three  hundred  years  hence, 
long  as  we  may  judge,  after  the  writers  of  this  little  volume 
have  gone  to  explore  the  mystery  of  the  future,  the  Texan 
will  ride  over  the  course  mapked  in  this  journal  and  feel  a 

208977 


6  IKTRODUCTION^. 

peculiar  pleasure  in  what  he  beholds,  as  he  beholds  it  as  it 
was  years  and  years  and  centuries  ago ;  and  it  may  be  that 
some  of  them  will  then  think  of  us  as  kindly  as  we  now 
think  of  Montaigne.  And  then,  however  simple  it  be, 
this  little  volume  may  never  lose  its  interest,  but  remain 
immortal,  dear  to  Texans  many,  many  years. 

And  what  a  giant  will  Texas  be  three  hundred  years 
from  now  !  Heavens  !  The  thought  recoils  under  the  stu- 
pendous contemplation.  But  this  it  is  safe  to  say  :  what- 
ever change  and  revolution  may  shake  the  American  con- 
tinent and  disperse  its  peoples,  she  will  forever  stand  Oi^E 
Ikdivisible,  the  mightiest  Empire  of  them  all :  with  the 
flood-lights  of  her  conquest  and  civilization  flashing  to  the 
west  and  south-west.  Nature  and  her  God  have  knitted 
her  together  for  a  great  destiny,  and  man  cannot  put  her 
asunder. 

Think  of  the  strides  with  which  she  is  now  bounding 
forward.  Forty  years  ago,  the  feeble  but  struggling  de- 
pendence of  an  ignorant  power  ;  next  an  infant  nationality 
toddling  along  in  shirtless  penury ;  now,  the  great  vigor- 
ous Hopeful  of  the  American  Union  !  The  next  census 
will  place  her  by  the  side  of  Ohio  in  numbers  on  the  floor 
of  the  National  Congress  ;  and  the  next  after  that  will  place 
her  far  above  New  York.  The  Texan  youth  of  to-day 
will  behold  a  far  grander  thing  than  their  fathers  beheld  , 
and  it  is  a  pleasant  thought  for  some  of  us  to  know  that 
we  shall  be  well  represented  in  that  line.  Of  course,  the 
writer  of  this  cannot  be  a  witness  of  her  full-grown  glory  ; 
but  he  will  do  her  all  the  good  he  can,  and  will  at  least 
help  to  twine  one  little  flower  with  her  splendid  garland. 

We  have  written  mostly  of  wildernesses  and  rocks.  In 
a  few  years  cities  will  illumine  those  wildernesses,  and 
lovers  will  tell  their  sweet  tales  on  the  very  rocks  from 
which  we  beheld  the  plaintive  wolf,  and  saw  the  ravings 
of  the  lions  of  the  mountains.* 


IKTRODUCTIOK.  7 

Only  let  her  statesmanship  be  akin  to  her  great  destiny. 

Advance  !  is  her  watchword,  but  I  cannot  say  that  it 
will  all  be  with  Peace  or  not. 

This  little  volume  is  the  joint  work  of  two  hands,  but 
we  have  generally  used  the  single  pronoun,  as  one  is  less 
cumbersome  than  two. 


OOI^TEE-TS. 


DIVISION   I. 

From  Houston  to  New  Braunfels. 

Texas  Western  Railway,  9 — Houston,  10 — My  Departure,  11 — The 
"Houston  Prairie,"  11 — What  I  would  do,  13  —  If  I  were  a 
Hunter,  15 — The  Giant  and  the  Princess,  15 — A  Talk  about  Cat- 
tle-raising, 16 — The  Brazos  and  its  "  Bottoms,"  18— The  River, 
21— The  Old  Ferryman,  23— San  Felipe  de  Austin,  27— Cat 
Springs,  29 — Geological,  31— A  Talk  with  the  Merchant,  32— 
Of  Various  Experiences,  33 — A  Strange  Apparition,  39 — La- 
grange. The  Colorado,  43 — The  Devil  and  Strap  Buckner,  49 — 
He  cometh,  58— La  Noche  Triste,  60— The  Day  of  Events,  Qo— 
He  Returns,  71— Snake  Prairie,  74— The  Vale  of  Seclusive,  76— 
Post  Oak  Belts,  78— Plum  Creek,  81— Mesquite  Chaparral,  82— 
Hog-wallow  Prairies,  85— Lockhart,  89 — Wealth  Undeveloped. 
— West  Texas  Scenery,  91 — The  Jackass  Rabbit,  93 — The  San 
Marcos,  94 — Some  Reflections,  98 — Speculations  about  Mesquite 
Grass,  99— The  Guadalupe,  101. 


DIVISION   II. 

New  Braunfels  to  San  Antonio. 

New  Braunfels,  103— Westward  and  Poesy,  106— My  Cibolo,  109— 
Continuation,  110 — Salado,  110 — Chaparral  Thoughts,  112 — 
San  Antonio,  114 — Mixed,  116 — Society,  117 — The  Verge. — 
Whence  She  Prospers,  117— Her  Past,  119— Battle-Scarred,  120— 
The  Alamo,  121— Her  Future,  123— The  Mexicans,  124— To 
Arms,  127. 


CONTENTS.  7 

DIVISION   III. 

San  Antonio  to  Fredericksburg. 

The  Texas  Pony,  128— The  Comal,  129— Rivers  Under  the  Ground, 
130~The  Shore  of  the  Eocene  Sea,  132— My  Cibolo  Again,  133— 
Three  Coyotes,  134— Boerne,  137— The  Products,  138— Sheep 
Husbandry,  139 — The  Society  of  Shepherds,  141 — George  Wil- 
kins  Kendall,  144— Wild  Nature  and  Wild  Beasts,  146— The 
Sisterdalians,  149 — The  Finest  Country  I  ever  Saw,  151 — Wheat, 
152— What  this  Wheat  Offers  the  Texas  Ports,  153— The  Peo- 
ple, 154 — Athena,  155 — Night  in  Athena,  156 — Geological  Ret- 
rospections, 158 — Heaven,  161 — A  Strange  Encounter. — Java- 
linas,  162 — Anchoritic,  166 — Incomprehensible,  168 — Elevated, 
169— Dismal,  170— Unearthly,  170— Piscine,  172— Granitic  Ex- 
plosion.— The  Primeval  World,  174— Earthquake  Thoughts,  175 
—The  Promised  Land,  176— Fredericksburg,  176— The  Sort  of 
People  you  see,  178. 

DIVISION  IV. 

Fredericksburg  to  Fort  Concho. 

Indian  Talk,  179— Fogs  and  Cloud-Bursts,  180— Lost  Rocks.— The 
Texas  Cataclysm,  181 — The  Primitive  Hills,  183 — Birds  that  are 
Peculiar,  184— Not  All  Bad,  187— A  Disappointment.— The  Old 
Shepherd,  188— Buen  Retiro,  190— Loyal  Valley.— The  Ger- 
mans and  a  Higher  Civilization,  192 — A  Garden  in  a  Wilder- 
ness, 194 — Physical  Features,  195 — How  One  feels  when  He 
cannot  tell  which  End  to  take,  195 — The  Compass  and  Aurora, 
197— Ruin.— The  Young  Geologist,  198— The  Frontiersman.— 
The  War  of  the  Sheafs  and  Horns,  200— Softened,  203— River 
Llano,  203 — Fort  Mason. — A  Surprise,  205 — The  Tamed  Lion  and 
the  Wild  One,  206— R.  E.  Lee,  208— The  Wilderness  and  the 
Live  Oak,  209 — A  Gentleman  in  Distressed  Circumstances,  210 — 
Night,  215— The  Queen  and  the  Lily,  216— Two  Surprises,  218 
Peculiar. — Eaves-dropping,  221 — Where  the  Peris  dwell,  222 — 
Morning,  223— Miranda,  224— Airy  Beings,  225— The  Wilder- 
ness and  Society,  227 — Ships  that  meet  at  Sea,  228 — A  Conver- 
sation on  the  Road,  229 — River  San  Saba. — Irrigation,  ^230 — 
Menardville.— The  Ultima  Thulians,  231— The  Female  Ultima 


8  COKTENTS. 

Thulians,  285 — Coglan's  Cave  and  what  befell,  238 — Ancient 
Ruins,  241 — Fort  McKavett. — Military  Life  in  the  Wilderness, 
242 — The  Horned  Frogs,  244 — Bivouac  with  Ebony  Soldiers, 
246 — Kickapoo  Springs. — Pretty  but  Scaly,  249 — Hail  Storms, 
250 — Company  Enough. — A  Texas  Norther,  252. 

DIVISION  V. 

Concho  to  Pecos. 

Camp  Concho. — All  Grotesque,  259 — Art  Imitates  Her,  261 — Big 
Expectations. — And  what  they  came  To,  263 — The  Holy  An- 
gels, 264 — The  Cemetery. — "  Unknown,"  266 — Col.  Anderson. 
— Compagnons  du  Voyage,  267 — A  Populous  City. — Subterra- 
nean Forests,  269 — A  Mixed  and  Happy  Family,  272 — The  Last 
of  them,  274— Startled.— The  Beautiful  Swan,  274— A  Serene 
Picture.— The  Days  of  Old,  276— Antelopes,  277— Souvenirs.— 
The  Gorge  of  the  Shadow  of  Death,  280 — Amazement. — The 
American  Bison,  281 — A  Glance  into  the  Past  and  Future,  285 — 
The  Mourner  by  the  Hearse,  287 — Per  contra,  289 — A  Specula- 
tion in  which  there  is  Money,  290 — Concho  Springs, — Et  tu 
Brute  !  291 — Retrospection. — Artesian  Wells,  292 — In  Darkness, 
294— Voices  of  the  Night,  296— Evoe  !— The  Charge !  298— 
Whence  came  He?  301— Dew- Drops,  303— The  Hand  of  Provi- 
dence.— The  Volcanic  Fountains,  304 — The  Sentinels  and 
Prophets,  305 — Pursuit  and  Death. — The  Jaguar,  306 — A  Change 
indeed.— The  Floral  Fiend,  308— A  Band  of  Philosophers,  309 
— Seat  of  Desolation. — The  Skeletons  in  Battle  Array,  310 — Of 
Him  that  ate  Red-Riding  Hood,  313 — What  it  has  been. — A 
Jurassic  Sea,  314 — Plains,  316 — A  Voice  in  the  Wilderness,  316. 


DIVISION  VL 
Pecos  to  Presidio  Del  Norte. 

A  Morning  Bath,  320 — The  Most  Remarkable  River  in  the  World, 
324— The  Cause  of  it.— The  Hand  of  the  Architect,  326— His 
Water,  327— The  Nile  and  my  Pecos,  327— The  Soil  ;  Irrigation 
and  Navigation,  328 — Adam's  Curse. — Fantastic  Shapes,  330 — 
The  Rose  in  the  Wilderness. — What  it  would  be,  332 — Remark- 
able  Region.— A  Dolorous  Day,  335— The  Night  of  Wolves,  337 


COKTEKTS.  9 

— Among  the  Minerals. — *'  There  they  are,  for  a  Fact  I"  340 — 
The  Lost  Creek. — Silver. — The  Lions  of  the  Mountains,  345 — 
The  Pass.— -The  Abysmal  Creek  and  Fall  of  Bruin,  349~Per- 
plexity  that  is  Providentially  Relieved. — A  Ride  in  Mexico,  353. 


DIVISION  VIL 

Pkesidio  Del  Norte  to  Houston. 

How  the  Vine  flourishes,  359 — The  Mexican  Snob. — How  Greatness 
Feels,  360— Presidio  at  Night.— Fandango,  364— Among  the 
Prospectors. — The  Chinati  Mountains,  365  —  A  Supper  lost. — 
The  Boast  of  the  Coward,  368— Departure  from  Friends,  373— 
The  Broncos. — The  Great  Plains,  374— Arrayed  in  White.— The 
Monarch,  375— Fort  Davis. — Man's  Inhumanity,  378— Limpia 
Canyon,  383— Barilla  Springs.— A  Norther  on  the  Staked 
Plain,  384r— Conclusion,  388. 


TWO    THOUSAND    MILES 


TEXAS    ON    HORSEBACK. 


I. 

DIVISION  I. 


HAVIKG  lately  accomplished  a  very  long  ride  in  the 
great  State  of  Texas,  I  have  concluded  to  write  out 
my  notes  in  order  that  others  may  see  what  I  saw,  and 
feel  somewhat  as  I  felt  And  first,  as  to  my  motives  for 
the  trip. 

I  had  taken  a  contract  to  do  some  work  on  the 

Texas  Western"  Kailway, 

An  enterprise  but  recently  projected  and  then  just  taking 
its  start.  It  was  planned  by  some  enterprising  gentlemen 
of  Houston,  who  believed  it  would  add  to  the  importance 
of  their  city  and  become  a  first-class  investment.  After 
investigating  the  prospects  of  the  road,  and  considering 
that  the  line  marked  out  for  it  will  connect  the  Pacific  in 
California  with  the  waters  of  the  Atlantic,  by  a  route  three 
hundred  miles  shorter  than  any  other,  over  a  country  offer- 
ing no  great  difficulcies  in  conformation  and  none  in  cli- 
mate, I  became  a  stockholder,  and  felt  an  interest  in  the 


10      TWO   THOUSA]S"D   MILES   IJS"  TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK. 

road.  Therefore,  after  completing  a  portion  of  my  con- 
tract, and  having  some  leisure,  I  undertook  my  long  ride 
on  horseback,  to  study  the  country  along  the  proposed 
route,  as  far  as  Mexico,  with  my  own  eyes.  The  gauge  of 
this  road  is  three  feet — a  system  upon  which  I  believe  most 
of  the  railroads  of  the  future  will  be  built.  Perhaps  in 
the  general  railroad  system  as  it  is,  too  much  of  that  has 
been  sacrificed  to  speed  which  had  been  better  given  to 
transportation.  We  can  afford  to  live  slower  when  by  that 
we  live  better  and  cheaper ;  and  what  is  thus  saved  will 
increase  the  comforts  of  those  from  whose  toil  the  cities 
are  made  and  the  waters  of  the  oceans  are  white  with  rich 
argosies.     He  who  drives  the  plow  does  it  all. 

Houston". 

It  was  my  starting  point,  as  it  is  of  the  road  of  which  I 
spoke.  It  is  the  next  most  populous  place  in  Texas,  sec- 
ond only  to  that  beautiful  ''  Sea-Cybele,"  which  looks  from 
orange  and  oleander  groves  upon  the  blue  waters  of  the 
Gulf  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  broad,  placid  bay  on  the 
other.*  Its  population  is  about  twenty-six  thousand,  an 
increase  of  three  to  one  in  seven  years.  It  is  the  most  in- 
terior point  to  which  the  tide-waters  of  the  Gulf  ascend. 
Though  fifty  miles  inland,  the  sea  practically  rolls  within 
six  miles  of  it,  and  can  be  easily  made  to  roll  at  its  doors. 
Ocean  steamers  ride  to  Clin  ion,  six  miles  below,  and  lesser 
craft  penetrate  the  heart  of  the  city.  Thus  by  railway  to 
Clinton,  Houston  is  within  ten  minutes  of  the  sea.  It  is 
the  centre  of  eight  railways,  which  are  daily  extending  her 
commerce  and  influence,  and  giving  access  to  every  portion 
of  the  great  domain  around  lier.  The  sea  knocks  at  her 
doors,  and  she  has  only  to  heed  the  summons.  It  offers 
her  a  summer  pathway  to  Mexico,  the  West  Indies,  Cen- 
tral America  and  South  America — regions  of  the  ^'  sweet 

♦  Galveston. 


TWO   TH0USA:ND   miles   IK   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.       11 

south/^  whose  trade  enriches  those  who  cultivate  it.  When 
Houston  and  Galveston  can  sell  wheat  and  flour  nearly  as 
cheap  as  St.  Louis,  their  fortune  is  made,  and  they  step 
forth  at  once  among  the  great  cities  of  the  land.  All  that 
they  need,  to  do  this,  is  more  farmers  upon  the  fertile  bo- 
som of  the  great  State,  whose  capacity  to  produce  the  best 
wheat  in  the  world  is  almost  without  limit.  When  they 
become  great  flour  exporting  marts,  other  manufactures 
will  be  necessary  and  will  spring  up  like  works  of  magic, 
thus  making  them  great  exporters  of  other  articles  also. 
To  my  view  nothing  can  be  clearer  than  the  future  great- 
ness of  these  two  cities.  Their  *^back  country  "  will  be 
not  only  the  grand  domain  of  Texas,  but  the  whole  vast 
region  between  the  Mississippi  and  the  Eocky  Mountains. 

My  Departure. 

The  sun  shone  brightly  on  the  morning  of  January  2d, 
1876,  and  the  breath  of  spring  was  in  the  air.  I  had  re- 
tired to  bed  on  the  night  of  the  first,  ready  for  my  jour- 
ney when  the  lark  shook  the  dew  off  his  wings.  An  early 
breakfast  and  my  staunch  steed  stood  champing  the  bit  in 
his  eagerness  to  be  on  the  way.  Little  recked  he  of  the  far 
journey  before  him.  After  the  manner  of  the  bold  war- 
rior of  old,  he  said,  ^'I  do  not  ask  how  long  it  is,  but  where 
it  is  ?  "  My  paraphernalia  consisted  of  one  extra  blouse,  a 
haversack,  a  pocket  map  and  compass  aud  spy-glass  ;  my 
arms  of  a  pocket-knife.  Tims  accoutred,  I  rode  due 
west  along  the  line  of  the  Texas  Western  Railway,  with  no 
other  companion  save  my  eyes  and  my  thoughts.  Much 
of  the  way  there  was  no  road,  and  my  path  was  much  like 
that  of  a  ship  over  the  trackless  sea. 

The  ''  HousTOK  Prairie." 

About  four  miles  from  Houston  the  last  vestige  of  hu- 
man habitation  disappears,    and  I   ride   upon   a  prairit 


12      TWO   TH0U3AKD   MILES   IK   TEXAS   ON   HOHSEBACK. 

which  to  the  westward  appears  boundless.  It  is  dead  of 
winter,  but  it  smiles  with  a  green  luxuriance  upon  which 
ten,  nay,  fifty  thousand  cattle  are  f ceding j  and  some  are 
basking  in  the  sunshine,  chewing  the  cud  with  a  lazy  air 
of  contentment.  To  the  right  and  left,  ten  miles  apart, 
are  dark  lines  of  forest,  which  mark  the  sleepy  course  of 
Buffalo  Bayou  on  the  one  hand,  and  Bray's  Bayou  on  the 
other.  This  prairie  is  as  smooth  as  a  billiard  table,  with 
scarcely  perceptible  inclination  to  either  bayou.  The  soil 
is  jet  black,  and  evidently  very  strong  and  rich.  Marl 
crops  out  in  many  places,  indicating  that  this  fine  fertilizer 
exists  in  abundance  a  few  feet  below.  Numerous  farms 
are  seen  in  the  distance  along  the  bayou's,  but  not  one  in- 
trudes upon  the  prairie.  Why  should  such  an  expanse  of 
fertile  lands  be  left  in  nature's  wildness  ?  Why  should  this 
rich  heiress  not  be  plucked  ?  Simply  because  the  Texan 
will  hug  the  forest  and  the  stream.  There  he  builds  his 
home  and  tills  his  field,  and  this  he  leaves  to  his  cattle  to 
roam  upon  at  will.  He  little  suspects  and  little  cares 
for  the  wealth  of  the  virgin  heiress.  Give  this  Houston 
Prairie  drainage  into  the  bayous  and  then  tickle  her  bosom 
with  a  plow,  and  see  how  quickly  she  will  laugh  with  the 
choicest  products  of  the  earth.  The  advancing  tide  of 
population  will  soon  overflow  the  valleys  and  break  through 
the  forests,  and  then  the  Houston  Prairie  will  blossom  like 
a  great  garden.  With  a  soil  so  rich  that  it  will  produce 
almost  anything,  and  a  climate  so  gentle  that  fresh  fruits 
from  the  field  may  be  gathered  e^ery  day  of  the  year,  it 
cannot  be  otherwise. 

But,  one  will  say,  what  about  water  and  wood  for 
fencing  and  fuel  ?  As  for  the  first,  the  clouds  will  keep 
your  under-ground  cisterns  always  filled  with  the  purest  and 
coolest  water ;  for  fencing  and  building  the  vast  pineries 
which  begin  at  Houston  and  extend  hundreds  of  miles 
eastward,  offer  illimitable  supplies  of  lumber,  and  for  fuel. 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IK   TEXAS   ON   HOKSEBACK.      13 

the  railroad  passing  through  the  centre  of  this  prairie,  will 
deliver  excellent  oak  from  the  great  Brazos  Bottoms  at 
three  dollars  per  cord  or  less.  I  regard  this  very  spot  as 
one  of  the  choicest  on  earth  for  the  farmer,  for  besides  the 
favorable  conditions  of  soil  and  climate,  he  has  in  the 
rapidly  growing  cities  within  easy  reach  of  him,  a  cash 
purchaser  for  all  he  can  produce  ;  and  they  are  markets 
which  he  need  not  fear  he  can  overstock.  They  have  abun- 
dant outlets  to  other  markets,  north,  east  and  west,  eager 
to  buy  all  that  they  cannot  themselves  consume. 

And  yet  these  noble  lands  are  now  begging  for  pur- 
chasers who  will  utilize  them,  at  fifty  cents  to  two  dollars 
an  acre  ! 

What  I  Would  Do. 

Suppose  I  should  encamp  permanently  on  this  prairie. 
I  should  in  the  first  place  buy  two  hundred  acres  of 
land.  This  I  would  immediately  enclose  with  a  plank 
fence  ;  after  which  I  would  plant  just  inside  the  fence,  a 
hedge  of  the  beautiful  pyracanth,  which,  long  before  the 
fence  has  decayed,  will  be  ready  to  take  its  place  with  a  living 
wall  of  green  foliage  and  blossoms,  and  berries  and  thorns, 
through  whose  intricate  mazes  nothing  larger  than  a  rab- 
bit can  pass.  It  will  endure  through  generations.  Then 
I  would  erect  my  cottage,  with  stables  and  barns,  and  I 
would  take  great  care,  even  with  little  expenditure  of 
money,  that  they  are  beautiful  and  pleasing  to  the  eye — 
so  that  the  wayfarer  in  passing  by  should  say:  ^^  There 
lives  one  of  taste  and  civilization  !  "  Then  I  would  adorn 
my  grounds  with  flowers  and  shrubbery,  not  only  to  please 
my  eye  and  the  stranger's,  but  that  the  little  ones  who 
might  one  day  prance  about  them  should  laugh  and  be  as 
happy  as  fairies,  and  have  their  little  hearts  warmed  and 
expanded,  from  their  first  impressions  with  the  love  of  the 
beautiful  and  good.     And  what  is  so  well  calculated  to  do 


14     TWO   THOUSAND    MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON    HORSEBACK. 

this  as  the  opening  perfumed  flowers,  and  the  birds  and 
gaudy  butterflies  that  sport  and  sing  among  them  ?  Then 
I  would  plant  forty  acres  to  the  pear,  the  peach,  the  plum 
and  the  grape  ;  then  I  would  planfc  forty  acres  with  young 
trees  gathered  from  the  forests,  to  be  my  park  and  to  give 
a  varied  beauty  to  the  scene.  Then  I  should  buy  a  dozen 
excellent  milk  cows,  natives  of  the  prairie.  Then  I  would 
pitch  my  crops  in  season,  and  garner  and  glean  in  season,  and 
accumulate  every  day.  Then  if  I  had  not  a  wife,  I  should 
make  haste  to  get  one.  If  things  were  not  yet  all  beauti- 
ful in  my  house  and  around  it,  I  would  expect  them  at 
once  to  become  so,  and  that  the  curds,  cream  and  butter, 
manipulated  by  female  hands,  would  add  no  small  increase 
to  my  income.  Above  all,  I  should  expect  her  to  be  beau- 
tiful and  good,  and  I  would  make  it  my  duty  to  see  that 
everything  around  her  was  beautiful — so  far  as  I  could — 
in  order  that  she  might  excel  it.  I  think  a  man  is  an  in- 
finite villain  who  puts  a  woman  in  a  dirty,  slouchy  home  ; 
and  what  a  wrong  he  does  his  young  daughters  !  A  man 
who  thus  lives  has  never  known  the  beauty  and  richness 
of  the  female  heart.  He  is  only  distinguished  from  the 
brute  in  that  he  walks  on  two  legs  and  they  on  four.  To 
do  all  of  this,  he  need  not  be  rich  ;  he  need  only  have  a 
good  heart  and  intelligence,  and  be  industrious.  I  hold 
that  nearly  all  women  would  be  beautiful  and  good,  if  their 
husbands  were  only  worthy  that  they  should  be. 

Would  I  not  be  happy  thus  encamped  ?  He  who  cul- 
tivates the  bosom  of  mother  Earth  intelligently  and  lov- 
ingly, cultivates  God ;  and  he  who  cultivates  God,  culti- 
vates and  secures  happiness.  I  believe  no  one  ever  culti- 
vated mother  Earth  intelligently  and  lovingly,  who  did 
not  live  happy  and  die  blest.  If  one  would  cultivate  Art 
and  Letters  also,  this  is  the  life  he  should  lead  ;  because 
the  fancy  and  thought  are  so  free  in  their  unrestrained 
independence.     The    bird    sings    all    the    more    sweetly 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IK   TEXAS   OK   H0K8EBACK.      15 

when  he  knows  that  his  mate  and  her  httle  ones  are  all 
right. 

If   I   WERE   A   HUKTEE, 

I  think  I  would  surely  pitch  my  tent  right  here.  As 
evening  fell,  the  prairie  swarmed  with  wild  fowl  and  was 
noisy  with  their  clamor.  Geese  in  large  flocks  were  pas- 
turing on  the  tender  herbage,  and  other  flocks  were  flying 
hither  and  thither,  emitting  their  peculiar  cry  of  ''conk, 
conk,"  as  they  flew.  Many  came  so  near  me  that  I  might 
have  killed  them  with  a  pocket  pistol.  Sand-hill  cranes, 
like  armies  in  grey  marched  leisurely  over  the  plain  ;  curlews 
and  plover  were  at  every  turn  ;  prairie  chickens  rose  con- 
tinually on  the  wing,  and  black-birds  or  grackle  were  lit- 
erally in  myriads. 

The  Giakt  akd  the  Prikcess. 

As  it  grew  dusk  a  long  dark  line  rose  up  in  the  west 
before  me,  and  I  knew  by  this  and  the  increasing  mots  or 
islands  of  timber,  that  the  prairie  was  about  to  terminate 
upon  the  forests  of  the  Brazos  Bottoms.  At  dark  I  rode 
upon  a  small  habitation  on  the  edge  of  the  forest,  where  I 
asked  for  and  obtained  food  and  rest  for  the  night.  It  was 
the  home  of  a  stock-man,  who  paid  little  attention  to  till- 
age of  the  soil.  He  was  bronzed  and  freckled,  booted  and 
bearded,  rough-hewn  outwardly,  but  polite,  hospitable  and 
intelligent.  There  was  an  air  of  considerable  comfort  about 
his  small  residence,  and  his  wife  was  a  tidy,  pleasant  little 
lady.  She  was  so  small  in  comparison  with  the  size  of  her 
husband  that  I  thought  of  a  giant  married  to  a  little  prin- 
cess, wiiom  he  had  stolen  and  borne  away  to  his  castle. 
There  was  a  meekness  and  resignation  about  this  little 
lady  which  increased  the  delusion.  It  occurred  to  me  that 
she  would  like  to  see  her  giant  look  handsomer  in  her  pres- 
ence, and  not  go  about  the  house  in  his  cow-clothes,  with 


l(j      TWO   THOUSAKD   MILES   IN   TEXAS   O:^   HORSEBACK. 

his  great  spurs  clanking  at  his  heels,  and  was  sick  at  heart 
because  he  would  not. 

Here  was  an  example  of  a  native  gentleman  who  had 
been  turned  wrong-side-out  by  association  with  rough  but 
honest  people,  who  know  little  and  care  less  for  the  ameni- 
ties of  civilization.  That  he  was  a  born  gentleman  was 
palpable,  but  that  he  was  no  gentleman  now,  at  least  in 
outward  appearance,  was  also  palpable.  He  had  allowed 
the  polish  to  be  worn  away  from  him  gradually  until  hardly 
a  bit  was  left.  It  is  said  that  no  gentleman  can  habitually 
follow  a  cow's  tail  without  thus  sinking,  and  evidence  of 
this  tendency  is  pointed  to  in  the  semi-civilized  or  barbar- 
ous condition  of  all  races  who  live  by  their  herds  ;  but  in 
this  country  jt  is  certainly  the  fault  of  the  gentlemen  them- 
selves that  this  should  be  ^o.  I  dare  say  that  when  this 
giant  courted  his  princess  he  did  not  do  so  with  his  cow- 
clothes  on  and  his  spurs,  but  was  adorned  and  scented  like 
a  big  lily  of  the  field.  Why  cannot  he  thus  adorn  himself 
in  her  presence  now,  and  arrest  the  tendency  to  revert  back 
to  barbarism  ?  * 

A  Talk  about  Cattle-raising. 

After  supper  the  giant  sat  by  me  on  the  gallery,  and  we 
smoked,  I  a  clay  pipe  and  he  a  cob  one.  The  night  was  so 
bland  that  I  could  hardly  think  of  it  as  winter.  While  he 
spake  his  legs  were  thrown  over  the  railing  of  the  gallery, 
and  his  feet  projected  a  considerable  distance  above  his 
head.  I  asked  him  with  what  rapidity  his  cattle  increased. 
His  reply  was  :  ^^That,  sir,  I  can  hardly  tell  you.  I  keep 
no  books.     They  say  you  can  calculate  on  an  increase  of 

*  The  author  of  the  Vestiges  of  Creation  seems  to  have  been  convinced  that  the 
life  of  the  herdsman  leads  to  barbarism.  He  says  in  his  chapter  on  the  Early  His- 
tory of  Mankind :  "  Even  men  who  have  been  civilized,  when  transfeiVed  to  a 
wide  wilderness,  where  each  has  to  work  hard  and  isolatedly  for  the  first  requi- 
Bites  of  life,  soon  show  a  retrogression  to  barbarism  ;  witness  the  plains  of  Aus- 
tralia, as  well  as  the  backwoods  of  Canada  and  the  prairies  of  Texas." 


TWO   THOUSAifD   MILES   IIST   TEXAS   ON"   HORSEBACK.       1? 

twenty-five  to  thirty-three  per  cent  a  year,  and  that  might 
be  so  if  none  were  stolen  and  none  strayed  away.  About 
all  I  know  of  it  is  that  they  increase  fast  enough  to  keep 
me  pretty  busy,  what  with  branding  calves  and  chasing  the 
runaways  back  from  the- ends  of  creation.  It  is  a  business 
that  you  must  watch  closely,  else  you  may  start  this  year 
with  a  thousand  head  and  in  a  few  years  find  yourself 
with  none." 

''  What  will  become  of  them  ?  " 

''  Other  people  will  brand  your  calves,  while  the  old  ones 
will  die  or  stray  away.  After  a  calf  has  become  a  year  old 
without  a  brand,  it  is  the  custom  to  look  upon  him  as  pub- 
lic property.  He  belongs  to  the  first  one  who  will  catch 
and  brand  him.  I  know  men  who  have  accumulated  large 
stocks  in  this  way.  A  man  must  be  up  and  doing,  sir,  and 
if  he  cannot  make  up  his  mind  to  do  this  he  had  better  let 
the  cattle  business  alone.  I  am  so  continually  in  the  sad- 
dle that  I  don't  feel  right  elsewhere." 

''  Do  you  find  ready  sale  for  your  beeves  ?" 

"  No  trouble   about  that.     When  I  find  myself  run 
ning  short,  of  pocket  change,  I  gather  a  few  head  and  driv«5= 
them  to  Houston,  where  they  will  sell  readily  at  fifteen  to 
twenty-five  dollars  a  head.     Beeves  are  like  cotton — ready 
sale  in  any  market  in  the  world." 

*^  You  never  feed  your  cattle  ?" 

^^  Oh,  no,  but  I  am  thinking  of  starting  a  little  farm 
near  Houston,  where  I  shall  raise  corn,  and  always  keep  a 
few  corn-fed  beeves  on  hand.  Such  cattle  will  bring 
fancy  prices." 

He  was  totally  unable  to  tell  me  how  many  cattle  he 
had,  but  evidently  supposed  that  he  had  several  thousand. 

I  had  ridden  nearly  forty  miles  since  morning,  and 
slept  well. 


II. 


The  Beazos  akd  its  '^Bottoms.'' 

THE  giant  refused  to  take  a  fee  for  my  board  and  lodg- 
ing, and  at  sunrise  I  was  on  my  way.  I  did  not  feel 
so  comfortable  as  yesterday.  It  was  my  first  trip  on  horse- 
back since  several  months^  and  my  contact  with  the  saddle 
had  become  a  great  grievance  ;  insomuch  that  I  often 
found  myself  thinking  of  the  cushioned  arm-chair  before 
my  grate. 

I  was  now  penetrating  the  Brazos  Bottom,  famed  for 
fertility.  Its  course  was  marked  by  a  long  line  of  forest 
rising  like  a  great  wall  abruptly  against  the  prairie,  save 
where,  here  and  there,  the  forest  showed  its  tendency  to 
advance  beyond  the  line,  by  groves  and  narrow  belts  of 
timber  thrown  out  upon  the  prairie.  The  level  of  the  bot- 
tom is  about  twenty  feet* below  the  prairie,  and  the  descent 
is  nearly  as  precipitous  as  a  wall.  On  entering  it  I  fo md 
I  had  passed  from  a  region  of  light  into  one  of  gloom  and 
darkness.  The  gigantic  pecan,  Cottonwood  and  magnolia 
threw  a  shade  upon  the  tops  of  their  lesser  neighbors, — the 
oak,  the  elm,  the  ash,  the  hackberry — and  these  in  turn 
threw  a  denser  shade  upon  the  ground.  From  the  tops  of 
the  lesser  to  the  tops  of  the  most  gigantic  climbed  the  wild 
grape,  weaving  ladders  here  and  a  perfect  net-work  there, 
on  which  it  seemed  that  one  could  climb  and  walk  at  ease 
from  tree  to  tree.  Below  them  all  was  the  underbrush, 
dense  as  an  African  jungle,  over  which  the  wild  convolvulus 
and  woodbine  and  bramble  spread  a  mantle  of  texture  so 
close  that  the  tomtit  could  hardly  hop  through  it.    Through 


TWO   TH0USA:N^D   miles   in   TEXAS   OK   HOKSEBACK.       '9 

all  of  these  mantles  the  sun  utterly  refused  to  shine,  and  the 
heavy  coating  of  fallen  leaves  and  limbs  and  logs  rotted  on 
the  ground  in  eternal  darkness  and  damp.  The  silence  was 
unbroken  save  by  the  tapping  of  the  woodpecker,  the  chat- 
tering of  the  squirrel,  and  the  hooting  of  the  owl,  even  at 
midday,  who  here  found  a  perpetual  reign  of  night.  Oc- 
casionally I  could  see  the  branches  of  the  pecan  and  cotton- 
wood  and  magnolia  waving  to  the  wind  far  above,  but  its 
voice  was  unheard  through  the  thick  obstruction  of  vine 
and  bough  and  foliage.  Trees  that  are  deciduous  else- 
where are  evergreen  here,  for  in  this  dark,  damp  forest  no 
frost  ever  comes  to  wither  the  leaves.  He  may  scatter  his 
glittering  gems  in  profusion  on  the  grass  of  the  prairies 
hard  by,  but  his  sparkling  beauty  and  his  crisp  touch  are 
here  all  unknown.  I  have  never  seen  a  forest  in  my  life 
where  the  trees  stood  so  closely  together.  In  many  places 
they  rest  and  lean  against  each  other,  and  their  boughs, 
except  of  the  most  gigantic,  are  all  interlocked.  What  an 
immense  store  of  fuel  and  building  wood  is  here  accumu- 
lated for  the  prairies,  which  stretch  away  to  the  east  and 
west  like  seas  ! 

The  gloom  is  penetrated  herd  and  there  by  wide  open- 
ings cut  by  the  old-time  planters,  who  derived  from  the 
matchless  soil  princely  incomes,  which  were  lavishly  ex- 
pended. After  the  war  these  great  plantations  were  aban- 
doned,  some  entirely  and  others  in  part.  Even  now  many 
of  the  richest  fields  lie  waste  and  untilled,  for  the  want  of 
willing  hands.  The  generous  soil  yields  readily  a  bale  of 
cotton  to  the  acre,  often  a  bale  and  a  half,  a  hogshead  of 
sugar,  or  sixty  to  a  hundred  bushels  of  corn.  I  saw  a  field 
which  had  been  in  cultivation  over  thirty  years  in  succes- 
sion, without  receiving  one  pound  of  manuring,  except 
what  the  birds  and  the  animals  had  cast  in  flying  or  wan- 
dering over  it,  and  yet  its  crops  were  as  exuberant  as  when 
first  opened. 


20      TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   !:«■   TEXAS   OIN"   HOKSEBACK. 

But  can  a  residence  in  this  deep  entanglement  be 
healthy  ?  Those  who  live  here  say  it  is  so  ;  and  so  do  the 
Esquimaux  say  that  their  land  is  the  most  delightful  and 
salubrious  under  the  canopy.  If  the  alligators  should  be 
consulted  they  would  protest  that  the  dark  swamps  of 
Louisiana,  rich  in  fogs  and  vapors,  were  all  that  any  rea- 
sonable being  could  desire.  It  is  simply  impossible  that 
the  enormous  quantity  of  carbonic  acid  gas,  evolved  from 
the  decaying  vegetation  around  me,  should  not  infect  the 
pure  air.  I  have  seen  none  who  did  not  look  well  and  ro- 
bust, but  I  dare  say  that  those  who  were  shaking  with 
chills  staid  home  by  the  fire.  There  is  suspicious  evidence 
in  the  fact  that  the  old  planters  built  their  residences  on 
the  high  grounds  of  the  prairie,  and  in  the  further  fact, 
which  I  discovered,  that  quinine  seems  to  be  a  favorite 
drug  in  the  locality.  In  Houston  it  is  common  to  see 
empty  beer  bottles  lying  about  the  streets,  and  I  saw  two 
empty  quinine  bottles  lying  by  the  road  side  in  the  Brazos 
Bottom.  I  noticed  those  two  bottles  closely,  and  I  thought 
they  spoke  a  sermon.  If  I  should  make  up  my  mind  to 
settle  in  the  Brazos  Bottom,  I  would  certainly  follow  the 
example  of  the  old  planters,  and  pitch  my  tent  on  the  prai- 
rie, and  I  would  select  a  position  from  which  the  wind 
would  reach  me  as  rarely  as  possible  from  the  direction  of 
the  Bottom. 

The  middle  of  the  great  Bottom  varies  exceedingly, 
from  three  miles  to  twenty  and  even  more.  As  a  rule,  it 
narrows  ascending  the  stream,  and  broadens  descending. 
A  few  miles  below  me  it  broadens  rapidly  to  the  east, 
while  to  the  west,  a  few  miles  still  lower,  it  continues  un- 
broken, though  not  all  covered  with  forest,  until  it  unites 
with  the  valley  of  the  Colorado,  forming  an  area  of  fertility, 
composing  the  counties  of  Fort  Bend  and  Wharton  in  part, 
and  Brazoria  and  Matagorda  wholly,  certainly  unsurpassed, 
if  equalled  elsewhere  in  the  world.     That  great  tract  has 


TWO   THOUgA]SrD   MILES   IN   TEXAS   OK   HOKSEBACK.       21 

been  formed  entirely  by  the  sediment  of  the  two  rivers  and 
decayed  vegetation,  and  is  of  a  depth  which  no  one  has 
ever  yet  explored.  It  is  a  region  which  absolutely  laughs 
with  rich  harvests  under  the  plow,  with  a  climate  made 
salubrious  by  the  almost  perpetual  breeze  from  the  Gulf ; 
and  the  jungle  there  does  not  exist  except  on  the  banks  of 
the  rivers.  It  is  unharmed  alike  by  drought  or  much  rain, 
for  the  soil  is  so  porous  and  retentive  of  moisture,  that 
when  the  rains  come  not,  it  nightly  drinks  its  fill  from  the 
dews  of  heaven  ;  and  when  the  rains  come  too  abundantly, 
the  porous  soil  swallows  it  up  and  conducts  it  away  to  un- 
known depths.  And  yet  with  all  this  fertility  and  salu- 
brity, that  portion  of  Texas  is  now  one  of  the  most  neg- 
lected in  the  State.  Formerly  the  seat  of  wealthy  planters, 
it  is  now  to  a  great  extent  abandoned  to  negroes,  who  are 
said  to  be  falling  back  to  a  state  of  semi-barbarism.  For 
this  reason  the  immigrant  shuns  it  as  a  Golgotha,  and  its 
noble  acres  are  begging  for  purchasers  at  almost  any  price. 
But  so  noble  a  country  cannot  always  remain  desolate  and 
a  beggar.  It  will  grow  prosperous  and  rich  again,  as  surely 
as  merit  wUl  one  day  reap  its  reward. 

The  Eiver. 

I  rode  upon  the  river  so  suddenly  that  had  it  been 
night,  and  my  horse's  eyes  no  better  than  my  own,  I  might 
have  tumbled  headlong  into  the  flood,  and  there  an 
end  ;  so  completely  was  it  hidden  by  the  dense  forest  and 
undergrowth  on  its  bank,  and  so  deep  was  the  channel 
through  which  it  flowed  as  silently  as  Lethe. 

•*  Far  off  from  there  a  slow  and  silent  stream, 
Lethe  the  river  of  oblivion,  rolls 
Her  watery  labyrinth,  whereof  w^o  drinks, 
Forthwith  his  former  state  and  being  forgets, 
Forgets  both  joy  and  grief,  pleasure  and  pain." 

I  copy  these  lines  because  the  sombre  imagery  which 


22       TWO  THOUSAND   MILES   IK  TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK. 

they  conjure  up  conveys  a  good  impression  of  the  Brazos, 
creeping  half  stagnant  under  the  dismal  shades.  Then 
think  of  its  dark  water,  four  hundred  feet  across,  and 
picture  a  half  rotten  log  floating  here,  and  another  there, 
scarcely  seeming  to  move,  each  loaded  with  a  cargo  of 
terrapins,  and  you  have  it. 

This  is  the  mightiest  river  in  Texas  that  flows  exclu- 
sively through  Texas  soil,  being  a  small  measure  more 
bulky  in  volume  than  its  twin  brother,  the  Colorado.  It 
is  between  six  and  seven  hundred  miles  long,  marked 
along  its  whole  course  by  the  same  rich  valley  and  tim- 
bered bottom,  forming  a  region  of  fertility  capable  of  pro- 
ducing more  wealth  probably  than  any  river  in  the  world, 
the  Mississippi  alone  excepted.  On  its  banks  a  mighty 
nation  might  flourish,  independent  of  the  world  besides. 
The  sugar  of  the  tropics  and  all  the  products  of  the  tem- 
perate regions  find  here  their  most  genial  home,  and  yield 
such  abundance  as  scarcely  anywhere  else.  The  old 
Spaniards  called  this  river  Brazos  de  Dios,  the  ^^  Arms  of 
God,"  by  which  they  meant  to  express  its  boundless  mu- 
nificence and  a  prophecy  of  the  millions  who  will  prosper 
on  its  banks.  Mighty  as  it  is,  it  is  not  navigable  except 
about  fifty  miles  from  its  mouth,  on  account  of  numerous 
shifting  sand-banks  that  obstruct  its  course.  Silent  and 
sleepy  as  it  now  is,  it  often  booms  for  months  like  a  roaring 
sea,  invading  the  bottoms  almost  annually,  with  just  suf- 
ficient depth  to  bestow  another  gift  of  fertihty.  When  it 
spreads  over  the  bottoms  it  is  like  a  dead  lake,  the  water 
halting  to  deposit  its  rich  sediment  and  forbearing  to  take 
any  away.  Surely  this  does  indeed  look  like  the  ^'^  Arms 
of  God  ! '' 

The  extraordinary  fertility  of  the  lands  bordering  the 
Brazos  is  easily  explained  when  we  consider  the  remarkable 
region  from  which  it  draws  its  fertilizing  materials.  Its 
main  fork  flows  nearly  two  hundred   miles  through  a  re- 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IIS"   TEXAS   OlS^   HORSEBACK.      23 

gion  in  which  gypsum  abounds,  charging  its  waters  with 
sulphur  and  lime  ;  the  Salt  Fork,  a  bold,  beautiful  stream, 
with  water  as  clear  as  that  of  mid-ocean,  descends  through 
salty  plains  and  over  beds  of  salt,  mixing  its  brine  with 
the  sulphur  and  lime  ;  *  the  South  Fork  winds  slowly 
through  lands  filled  with  soda  and  magnesia,  and  the 
Clear  Fork  contributes  its  volume  of  sweet  water  from  fer- 
tile plain  and  forest  whose  soil  has  been  formed  of  the 
debris  of  all  of  these.  Thus  the  Brazos  descends  from  a 
giant  laboratory  in  which  nature  compounds  the  richest 
mineral  fertilizers,  and  charges  its  waters  with  them  to 
bless  the  regions  below.  Add  to  these  the  millions  and 
millions  of  tons  of  vegetable  matter  decaying  annually  in 
the  valleys,  and  the  extraordinary  fertility  is  explained. 
The  Nile  has  been  in  cultivation  probably  fifty-five  cen- 
turies, with  its  annual  yield  undiminished,  and  this 
Brazos,  I  doubt  not,  can  excel  that. 

The  Old  Ferryman^. 

Descending  the  steep  bank  to  the  water  thirty  feet 
below,  I  saw  an  old  ferryman  sitting  in  his  boat,  with  his 
chin  resting  upon  his  left  hand,  apparently  absorbed  in 
meditation.  A  large  white  crane  standing  like  a  statue  on 
one  leg  on  the  opposite  shore,  seemed  to  be  trying  to  rival 
him  in  lonesomeness  and  meditation.  The  soft  earth  of 
the  bank  gave  forth  no  sound  under  my  horse's  feet  as  I 
descended,  and  the  old  gentleman  sat  and  contemplated 

*  I  have  never  seen  any  beds  of  salt,  or  rock  salt,  in  the  region  of  the  Salt 
Fork,  but  have  no  doubt  that  they  exist,  and  that  the  brine  of  the  river  is 
derived  from  them.  Along  its  borders  I  saw  native  crystal  salt,  as  clear  as 
ice.  Its  waters  are  considerably  more  briny  than  the  ocean.  I  saw  also  a  small 
clear  pond  near  the  river,  very  salty,  which  was  filled  with  fish  resembling  the 
sheeps-head,  I  saw  no  fish  in  the  river,  though  doubtless  they  are  there.  I 
thought  the  finding  of  these  salt-water  figh  was  remarkable,  as  they  were  sepa- 
rated from  the  ocean  at  least  five  hundred  miles.  How  did  they  get  there  ? 
Does  *  peculiar  form  of  life  come^  when  the  peculiar  condition  suited  to  its  exist- 
ence, arrives  ? 


.24      TWO    THOUSAND    MILES    IN   TEXAS    OIT    HORSEBACK. 

until  my  horse,  stepping  on  the  boat,  startled  him.  He 
rose  with  a  complaisant  obeisance  and  his  eyes  sparkled 
with  the  prospect  of  earning  a  few  cents.  '^  Sarvant,  sir  ! " 
said  he.  He  was  an  aged  and  venerable  negro,  his  head 
almost  as  white  as  wool,  but  his  stout,  straight  form  and 
full  face  showed  that  age  had  dealt  kindly  with  him. 
There  was  something  about  him  that  seemed  to  say  that 
the  old  man  was  of  good  society  and  had  seen  better  days. 

As  he  pulled  me  across,  I  said:  *^  Uncle,  what  do  you 
think  of  things  ?  " 

He  turned  to  me  and  looked  inquiringly,  and  said:  '^Of 
what  things,  sarvant,  sir  ?  " 

'^  Of  yon  crane  sitting  on  the  opposite  shore,  on  one 
leg?" 

"  I  think  that  he  will  soon  fly  away." 

*^  And  leave  me  as  other  things  have  left  me  !  There 
seems  to  be  a  mystery  about  that  solemn  creature.  He 
looks  as  if  he  did  not  have  a  friend  in  the  world.  He 
looks  like  the  spirit  of  one  departed,  who  has  visited  his 
former  haunts  and  sits  melancholy  over  what  he  beholds, 
with  his  mind  far  away  .in  the  past.  Uncle,  may  not  that 
be  the  departed  spirit  of  some  one  of  the  rich  planters  who 
once  dwelt  hereabout  and  now  stands  deploring  the  desola- 
tion that  has  befallen  his  estates  and  his  children?" 

The  old  man  looked  at  me,  and  then  looked  at  the 
crane,  and  when  he  turned  again  I  thought  I  beheld  a  tear 
in  his  eye,  '-  If  that  is  the  spirit  of  my  old  mascer,"  said 
he,  looking  at  the  crane  suspiciously,  ''  I  know  he  can't 
wish  any  harm  to  me.     Old  master  always  liked  old  Ned." 

"And  yet  he  stands  with  his  head  tucked  under  his 
wing,  as  if  he  loved  you  not." 

"^o,  sir,"  said  he,  shaking  his  head  and  eying  the 
crane,  "  that  is  not  my  old  master — God  rest  him!  " 

The  crane  pulle4  hjs  head  from  under  his  wing,  gave  a 
stately  flap,  and  flew  down  the  dark  river,  his  legs  pro- 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IK   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.      25 

jected  behind  him.  The  old  man  watched  him  departing 
with  a  sigh  of  relief. 

^^ Uncle  Ned,  what  do  you  think  of  the  times?  "  said  I. 

^^  Ah/ young  master,  they're  not  what  they  was  in  the 
old  timey  days.  That  crane  did  shorely  put  me  to  think- 
ing. He  looked  exactly  like  I  feels  when  I  git  to  thinking 
of  the  old  timey  days.     There  ain't  no  sich  days  now." 

*^  Uncle  Ned,  does  not  the  sun  shine  as  brightly;  do  not 
the  dews  descend  and  the  rains  fall  as  regularly;  do  not 
the  crops  grow  as  well,  and  do  not  the  birds  sing  as  sweetly 
as  in  the  old  timey  days  ?  " 

^'The  same  God,"  said  he,  "looks  upon  us  yit,  and  it 
rains  the  same,  but  the  crops  ain't  what  they  was,  and 
things  ain't  prospering.  Look  at  the  falling  down  houses 
and  the  rotting  fences.  It  'pears  to  me  there's  a  blight 
upon  the  yeth."* 

"Uncle  ISTed,  what  do  you  think  of  freedom  and 
slavery  ?  " 

"Well,  sir,  to  talk  right  straight,  I  think  it's  about 
one  and  t'other.  About  the  only  difference  I  see  is  that 
there's  more  freedom  and  less  to  eat ;  more  privilege  and 
lesser  comfort.  We  are  all  slaves  anyhow  to  our  backs 
and  our  bellies.  Them's  worser  masters  than  ever  the 
overseers  was.  We  didn't  have  that  slavery  in  slavery 
times.  And  I  tell  you,  young  mas.,  when  the  nigger  git 
sick  now,  the  nigger  gwine  die.  Es,  sir,  you  hear  my 
racket,  the  nigger  gwine  die.  There  ain't  no  old  master 
and  old  mistiss  now  to  send  for  the  doctor  and  come  and 
nuss  you.  If  you  send  for  the  doctor  now,  ten  to  one  he 
won't  come,  'cepting  he  knows  you  mighty  well,  for  he 
know  he  ain  gwine  git  his  money." 

The  boat  struck  the  shore  and  I  gave  Uncle  Ned  a  sil- 
ver half  dollar.     He  was  feeling  in  his  pocket  for  the 

•  •  Earth. 


26      TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN    TEXAS   ON  HORSEBACK. 

change.  I  said:  "Never  mind,  Uncle  Ned;  you  keep 
that." 

"Sarvant,  sir  ;  sarvant,  sir,"  said  he  with  a  low  bow  ; 
and  looking  straight  at  me,  he  added:  "I  believe  you, 
sir,  is  the  son  of  an  old  timey  planter." 

Eising  on  my  horse  I  bade  Uncle  Ned  adieu,  remind- 
ing him  to  keep  a  sharp  eye  on  the  crane.  He  had  prob- 
ably been  the  favorite  body  servant  of  some  rich  planter, 
whose  pleasant  duty  was  to  attend  to  small  things  about 
the  "  great-house,"  and  drive  the  young  ladies  to  church 
or  to  school. 


III. 


SAiq-  Felipe  de  Austin. 

^^ "T"~T"AIL  holy  light!  offspring  of  heaven  first  born!" 
JUL  Such  was  my  exclamation  as  I  emerged  from  the 
dark  forest  of  the  Brazos  into  the  open  sunlight  of  the 
prairie.  I  might  now  have  turned  aside  to  visit  the 
ancient  municipality  of  San  Felipe,  but  it  would  have 
deflected  me  a  few  miles  from  my  course,  and  I  chose  to 
stop  and  rest  awhile,  as  my  horse  cropped  the  sweet  herb- 
age. The  scene  before  me  was  one  of  much  beauty. 
Groves  of  the  post  or  iron-oak  stood  here  and  there  on  the 
prairie,  and  a  narrow  belt  of  timber  ran  centrally  through 
a  lovely  valley  to  the  west.  Beyond  the  valley  the  land 
rose  in  gentle  slopes  ;  pretty  farms,  half  concealed  under 
a  blue  haze,  were  visible  in  the  distance,  and  everything 
indicated  the  approach  to  a  prosperous  and  happy  com- 
munity. 

San  Felipe  is  chiefly  worthy  of  note  for  what  it  has 
been.  In  the  old  timey  days  it  was  the  most  notable  and 
important  place  in  Texas.  All  roads  in  the  State  led  to 
San  Felipe.  It  was  the  seat  of  Austin's  colony,  the  home 
of  the  three  hundred  American  adventurers  who  first  put 
foot  on  Texas  soil.  A  restless  and  uneasy  assemblage  they 
were,  gathered  here  and  there  from  every  corner  of  the 
United  States.  Accustomed  to  a  drifting,  unquiet  life, 
little  cared  they  for  the  arts  and  industries  of  peace. 
They  tilled  the  field  enough  to  subsist,  but  built  few  or 
no  homes  that  were  comfortable.     They  left  no   more 


28      TWO  THOUSAND   MILES  IN   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK. 

tokeu  of  civilization  than  a  band  of  wandering  sarages 
who  have  encamped  a  month  on  a  hunting  ground.  They 
were  chiefly  vahiable  as  food  for  gunpowder  ;  and  to  such 
complexion  does  it  come  at  last  when  we  look  back  into 
the  character  of  those  who  have  penetrated  wild  and  un- 
known regions  and  founded  empires.  Graceless  ne'er-do- 
wells  at  home,  nature  seems  to  have  formed  them  ex- 
pressly to  sustain  the  losses  and  undergo  the  perils  of 
conquest.  Under  this  regime  San  Felipe  de  Austin  was  a 
clump  of  unsightly  cabins,  in  which  the  tin  cup  dis- 
cliarged  its  ardent  contents  by  day  and  the  fiddle  sounded 
by  night.  These  occupations  were  more  agreeable  to 
them  than  building  homes  and  cultivating  housewives  and 
children. 

After  this,  San  Felipe  became  for  a  while  the  seat  of 
empire  of  the  struggling  young  republic  of  Texas,  but  its 
new  honors  brought  no  improvement  in  architecture,  and 
the  tin  cups  rang  and  the  fiddle  and  dance  vexed  the  ear 
of  night  the  same  as  ever.  Here  Houston,  Rusk  and 
Lamar  made  their  headquarters,  harangued  the  law- 
makers, planned  their  campaigns  and  laid  the  foundations 
of  mighty  Texas.  Their  council  room  was  the  joist  of  a 
miserable  log-cabin,  which  was  the  best  that  Texas  could 
then  afford  to  her  statesmen  and  warriors.  They  them- 
selves were  clad  in  buckskin,  and  some  of  them  at  least 
enjoyed  to  no  small  degree  the  tin  cup  and  fiddle.* 

As  Texas  grew  stronger  and  built  other  more  populous 
cities,  the  restless  denizens  of  San  Felipe  hastened  thither, 
in  search  of  new  fields  of  excitement  and  amusement,  leav- 
ing the  old  place  quite  abandoned  and  desolate.     The  vil- 

*  Anson  Jones,  then  a  young  man,  just  from  the  colleges  of  Massachusetts, 
afterwards  President  of  Texas,  visited  San  Felipe  about  this  time,  to  seek 
employment  under  ';he  revolutionary  government.  He  says  in  his  memoirs  that 
he  found  Houston  "  dead  drunk  "  in  the  upper  story  of  a  dirty  shanty,  and  the 
•whole  population  so  rough  and  boisterous  that  he  was  "  disgusted,"  and  returned 
to  Brazoria,  where  he  had  settled. 


TWO   THOUSAJirD   MILES   IN   TEXAS   OJS"    HORSEBACK.      2^ 

lage  now  has  probably  a  hundred  inhabitants,  and  it  is 
said  to  be  a  fact  that  not  one  of  the  original  settlers  or  their 
descendants  dwells  in  it  or  near  it.  Nothing  could  be  better 
proof  of  the  unquietness  of  those  early  adventurers. 

But  feeble  and  sunken  as  San  Felipe  is  now,  she  has 
that  by  which  she  may  grow  great.  Before  the  revolution, 
Mexico  granted  to  the  municipality  four  leagues,  or  nearly 
seventeen  thousand  acres  of  land,  situated  around  her, 
fronting  on  both  sides  of  the  Brazos.  She  holds  most  of 
these  lands  yet.  They  will  become  of  immense  value  and 
iill  her  coffers  with  gold.  With  such  endowment  she  might 
build  splendid  colleges,  atheneums  and  museums,  gather 
to  her  the  learned  and  refined,  and  make  herself  the  most 
marked  place  in  Tezas.  Genius  w^as  at  her  birth  ;  it  long 
sauntered  about  her  cabins,  and  if  it  has  abandoned  her, 
she  may  recall  it  and  become  the  Athens  of  tlie  South-west. 
It  is  renown  worth  gaining.  Let  her  try  it.  The  locality  is 
rich,  beautiful  and  salubrious,  enjoying  the  Gulf  breeze 
that  sweeps  to  her  over  a  hundred  miles  of  prairie,  in  which 
there  is  not  a  single  bog  or  fen. 

Cat  Spriis-gs. 

I  rode  up  the  valley  of  Mill  Creek  in  Austin  county. 
This  valley  is  a  wide  and  lovely  one,  and  scarcely  less  fer- 
tile than  the  Brazos  Bottom.  Beauty  continually  increased 
around  me,  until  as  I  approached  Cat  Springs,  I  thought 
the  country  the  loveliest  I  had  ever  beheld.  To  the  right, 
beyond  the  valley,  the  prairie  rolled  away  in  sunny  slopes 
and  graceful  swells,  growing  higher  as  they  faded  away  in 
the  blue  distance  ;  to  the  left  it  was  as  level  as  the  bosom 
of  a  lake  sleeping  under  a  summer  eve ;  all  verdant  with 
luxuriant  grasses  ;  dotted  with  farms  and  pretty  cottages, 
nestling  amid  evergreen  shrubbery  ;  diversified  with  Druid 
looking  groves  of  post-oak.  Everything  bore  a  look  of 
contentment  and  good  cheer — even  the   lazy  cattle   and 


30      TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   OX   HORSEBACK. 

grunting  pigs,  which  would  scarcely  deign  to  look  al  me  as 
I  passed.  Piles  of  cotton  bales  were  seen  in  every  yard,  the 
prosperous  farmers  no  doubt  patiently  holding  back  for 
better  prices.  At  a  distance  Cat  Springs  looks  like  a  town  ; 
but  it  is  not  even  a  village  ;  it  has  not  even  a  post-office. 
As  I  rode  into  it  I  found  it  only  a  big  assemblage  of  eighty 
acre  farms,  with  their  cosy  cottages  and  neat  barns  and 
stables.  The  piles  of  cotton  and  the  rows  of  stacks  of  hay 
and  grain  served  to  increase  the  delusion  of  town  or  city 
which  possessed  me  at  a  distance.  It  has  only  one  store, 
a  large  and  fine  one,  at  which  every  conceivable  variety  of 
articles  is  offered  for  sale,  from  a  lady's  hair-pin  to  a  barrel 
of  whiskey.  I  stop  at  this  store  and  ask  entertainment  for 
the  night,  which  is  accorded  me.  Since  entering  the  set- 
tlement I  have  heard  only  the  German  tongue  and  seen 
German  faces.  The  entire  population  for  miles  around,  so 
far  as  I  can  judge,-  is  German.  See  how  different  and 
home-loving  these  Germans  are  from  the  adventurers  who 
established  San  Felipe,  and  won  a  place  among  the  nations 
for  Texas  !  I  had  travelled  only  some  twenty-two  miles 
during  the  day,  partly  on  account  of  the  discomfort  of  my 
seat  in  the  saddle,  and  partly  my  care  to  observe  the  match- 
less country  over  which  I  had  passed. 

Cat  Springs  derives  its  name  from  a  bold,  beautiful 
spring  of  cool,  soft  water,  which  bursts  up  in  the  com- 
munity and  forms  the  principal  water  of  Mill  Creek;  and 
the  spring  no  doubt  derives  its  name  from  a  colony  of 
wild-cats  found  established  in  the  trees  which  shade  it, 
by  its  first  American  discoverers.  And  I  dare  say 
those  who  discovered  and  thus  christened  it,  were  the 
graceless  adventurers  who  encamped,  not  settled  at  San 
Felipe,  in  whose  eyes  a  wild-cat  was  a  highly  respectable 
and  delightful  creature.  No  German  could  thus  have 
christened  it  So  charming  a  place  and  community  de- 
serves a  prettier  name.     Why  cannot  the  Germans  re-bap- 


UNIVERSITY 

MILES   IK   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.      31 

tize  it?  Will  not  the  name  of  their  sweet  poet  do  as  well — ■ 
Uhland?  And  the  whole  place  seems  to  me  to  breathe  of 
the  spirit  of  Uhland.* 

Geological. 

Here  I  find  the  first  stone  on  my  journey.  It  crops 
out  on  the  banks  of  Mill  Creek  and  along  the  edges  of  the 
undulating  swells  of  the  prairie.  All  below,  the  country 
is  stoneless.  This  is  a  hard,  bluish,  compact  sandstone, 
and  its  appearance  marks  a  new  geological  era.  I  had  up 
to  this  point  been  travelling  over  a  country  newer  than  the 
Pliocene.  A  great  bog  covered  the  whole  extent  from 
Houston  up  to  this  point,  with  shallow  brackish  water. 
Its  shores  run  along  the  foot  of  the  undulating  prairie 
which  reaches  down  to  the  valley  of  Mill  Creek,  and  its 
bottom  was  gradually  filled  up  with  the  sediment  of  the 
Brazos  and  Colorado.  Eight  here  then  was  probably  the 
last  stand  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  before  it  retreated  to  its 
present  position.  This  stone  is  clearly  of  Eocene  forma- 
tion, and  the  Miocene  and  Pliocene  either  did  not  exist 
within  this  area,  or  have  been  hidden  by  the  alluvial 
deposits.  The  stone  makes  an  excellent  and  handsome 
building  material,  and  as  it  is  the  nearest  stone  to  Houston, 
and  is  in  abundance,  it  will  certainly  be  in  great  demand 
when  it  can  be  transported  on  railroad,  f 

*  The  American  explorers  have  filled  the  country,  particularly  the  South- 
west, with  ugly  and  abominable  names,  frequently  for  the  most  beautiful 
natural  objects.  One  of  the  prettiest  streams  I  ever  saw,  in  southern  Missouri, 
is  entitled  with  the  name  of  "  Cow-skin,"  which  has  a  rival  in  "  Cow-house 
Creek,  one  of  the  prettiest  tributaries  of  the  Rasque.  The  map  of  Arkansas  is 
sadly  defaced  with  such  wretched  names.  How  poor  must  have  been  the  vocab- 
ulary of  these  people  ! 

t  I  am  reminded  here  of  a  singular  geological  occurrence.  About  the  same 
distance  from  Houston,  and  the  same  from  Galveston,  in  Brazoria  County,  there 
is  a  great  deposit  of  Eocene  limestone  of  superior  quality,  in  a  mound  covering 
many  acres,  rising  in  the  midst  of  a  region  of  the  latest  geological  formation. 
There  is  enough  of  this  limestone  to  furnish  Houston  and  Galveston  with 
building  lime  for  ages,  if  it  only  had  railroad  transportation.    It  is  the  only 


32      TWO  THOUSA]srD   MILES   11^  TEXAS   01^  HORSEBACK. 


A  Talk  with  the  Merchan^t. 

"A  noble  country  is  this  of  yours,  sir/'  said  I. 

'^  We  are  satisfied  with  our  country/"'  said  he.  ''  Any 
man  who  will  work,  and  they  all  work  here,  can  live  well, 
and  lay  away  something  for  a  rainy  day.  They  have  their 
crops  and  their  cattle,  their  pigs  and  poultry,  they  never 
need  want  for  a  dollar." 

^*What  do  they  with  their  money?"  said  I  wonder- 
in  gly. 

^'  They  send  some  to  G-ennany  to  comfort  the  old  ones 
at  home.  Some  put  it  in  bank  in  Houston,  and  lend  it  on 
real  estate  at  twelve  per  cent.  There's  many  a  fine  house 
in  Houston  built  with  our  Cat  Springs  money.  Some  poke 
it  away  in  old  boxes  and  stockings,  and  there  it  will  stay 
till  their  children  inherit  it,  who  will  be  surprised  at  ihe 
amount  of  ready  cash  they  find  themselves  possessed  of. 
Well-to-do  is  the  rule  here,  with  no  exceptions." 

^^  I  dare  say  you  lose  nothing  by  bad  debts  in  such  a 
community." 

*^  Never,"  said  he.  ^^Most  of  my  neighbors  pay  as 
they  go.  With  some  I  keep  accounts,  and  they  give  me 
checks  on  Houston  when  pay-day  comes,  which  serves  me 
just  as  well." 

''  What  a  grand  community  to  grow  rich  in  ! " 

He  smiled,  and  asked  me  to  join  him  in  a  bottle  of  beer. 

limestone  within  my  knowledge  anywhere  near  the  Texas  coast.  With  this 
abundant  limestone  so  near,  and  yet  so  far,  Houston  and  Galveston  have  until 
lately  been  getting  their  lime  from  Rockland  in  Maine  !  They  now  get  it  from 
Austin,  one  hundred  and  seventy-eight  miles  north  of  Houston. 


IV. 


Of  Various  Experiences. 

I  DID  not  feel  so  uncomfortable  in  my  saddk  tliis  morn- 
ing, as  usage  to  it  had  hardened  me.  The  sun  shone 
brightly,  and  the  song  of  the  lark  cheered  me  as  I  rode 
from  Cat  Springs  to  the  westward.  I  had  taken  a  step 
upward,  and  could  not  only  see  that  I  was  ascending,  but 
felt  that  the  country  over  which  I  had  passed  lay  far  below 
me.  I  was  entering  another  clime  and  other  regions.  The 
prairie,  no  longer  monotonously  level,  rolled  in  undulations, 
and  rose  here  and  there  in  immense  knolls  or  mounds.  The 
forests,  struggling  to  obtain  foothold  and  conquer  other 
possessions,  had  thrown  their  advance  couriers  forward  in 
every  direction,  which  stood  in  isolated  groves,  adding 
greatly  to  the  beauty  of  the  scenery.  These  groves,  by 
some  singular  chance,  had  established  themselves  on  the 
most  conspicuous  elevations.  They  consisted  of  the  iron 
oak,  of  unusually  large  size  and  handsome  form.  They 
will  continue  to  spread,  and  after  a  time  will  possess  all  of 
this,  save  where  the  axe  of  the  farmer  will  bar  their  ad- 
vance. 

Five  miles  west  of  Cat  Springs  the  cosy  German  farms 
disappear,  and  I  again  ride  in  a  wilderness,  but  a  wilder- 
ness of  beauty  still.  What  though  no  one  lives  upon  it  ? 
- — yet  the  stately  groves  adorn  the  landscape,  the  graceful 
undulations  continue,  the  rich,  green  herbage  luxuriates, 
romantic  vales  wind  hither  and  thither,  and  nature  has 
drawn  everything  with  exquisite  art.  It  is  all  rich — posi- 
2* 


34      TWO   THOUSAND  MILES   I:N^   TEXAS   0:N^   HORSEBACK. 

tively  every  foot.  It  needs  only  the  iron  horse  to  make 
this  lovely  land  pour  out  wealth,  like  Fortune  from  her 
cornucopia.  The  solitary  settler  passes  it  by  because  he 
would  be  too  remote  from  neighbors  and  a  market,  and 
others  pass  because  none  have  come  before  them.  And 
thus  it  is  left  alone  in  unproductive  richness  and  loveliness. 
How  deliciously  the  breezes  sweep  over  these  undulations 
and  mounds  !  By  night  or  by  day  they  cease  not.  If  I 
were  a  miller  I  would  want  no  better  locality  than  this  for 
a  motive  power.  On  the  top  of  one  of  these  elevations  I 
would  build  my  structure,  and  the  winds  of  God  would 
turn  the  stones.  No  fear  that  the  stream  would  diminish 
from  drought.  If  I  were  a  shepherd,  in  yonder  noble  grove 
would  I  erect  my  shelter,  from  whose  eminence  I  would 
watch  my  flocks  pasturing  in  the  vales  or  basking  at  noon 
on  the  banks  of  the  sparkling  pools  below.* 

I  had  ridden  over  about  twenty  miles  of  such  country 
as  this,  when  a  beautiful  vale  allured  me  to  stop,  to  graze 
my  steed  and  to  bait  on  the  cheese  and  crackers  I  had 
procured  at  Cat  Springs.  I  stripped  my  steed  and  turned 
him  loose,  his  forefeet  manacled  with  a  raw-hide  "  hobble," 
and  bade  him  eat  his  fill.  I  then  proceeded  to  consume 
the  cheese  and  crackers,  after  which  I  took  a  draught  from 
the  bottle  which  the  kindly  merchant  had  filled  for  me 
to  take  along  to  bear  me  company  on  the  way.  It  was 
exceedingly  soft  and  innocent  to  the  taste,  reminded  me 
as  I  drank  it  of  the  discourse  of  a  good,  wise  old  man,  who 
would  entertain  you  and  fill  you  with  wisdom,  but  would 
not  harm  you  for  the  world.  After  this  I  was  seized  with 
a  desii'e  for  slumber,  increased  by  the  contemplation  of 
the  profound  quietude  of  the  vale.  Spreading  my  saddle- 
blanket  beneath  me  on  the  feathery  grass,  I  soon  became 
unconscious  of  my  own  existence  and  that  of  the  world 

*  These  sparkling  pools  might  disappear  in  a  long,  dry  summer,  but  one 
Artesian  well,  which  might  easily  be  obtained  here,  would  furnish  a  ^vhole 
community  vv,th  abundance  of  living  water 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   I:N'   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.      35 

besides.  Hours  passed  in  this  condition,  until  I  was  par- 
tially awaked  by  a  sense  of  uncomfortable  chilliness. 
Deeming  that  I  was  in  my  bed  in  Houston,  I  struggled  to 
gather  the  covering  about  me,  and  had  covered  perhaps  a 
a  foot  or  part  of  my  flank  with  my  saddle-blanket,  when  I 
again  passed  into  obliviousness.  I  had  not,  I  suppose, 
remained  so  long,  however,  before  the  chilliness  again 
disturbed  me,  increased  to  such  a  degree  that  I  imagined 
that  I  was  gradually  being  submerged  into  a  bath  of  ice- 
water.  I  arose,  and  was  startled  to  seethe  shades  of  night 
settling  around  me.  What  was  worse,  my  horse  had  dis- 
appeared. I  stared  eagerly  around,  but  he  was  no  where 
in  sight.  Said  I  to  myself  :  "  Has  some  heartless  tramp 
stolen  upon  me  in  my  slumber,  and  set  me  afoot  to  starve 
in  this  wild,  untenanted  region  ?  "  A  sense  of  desolation 
seized  me,  the  most  overwhelming  I  had  ever  experienced. 
I  had  not  long  to  look,  fortunately,  when  my  horrors 
were  dispelled  by  finding  my  horse  grazing  in  an  umbra- 
geous nook  concealed  from  the  point  where  I  had  slept. 
He  looked  at  me  as  if  he  was  perfectly  innocent  of  the 
distress  he  had  caused  me,  and  was  sorry  for  it.  He  was 
soon  saddled,  and  I  was  again  on  my  way.  I  took  another 
draught  from  the  bottle  to  dispel  the  chilliness  that  still 
possessed  me.  It  was  extremely  soft  and  mellifluous  to  the 
taste,  but  I  observed  in  a  moment  that  it  sent  the  warm 
blood  coursing  through  my  veins  to  a  surprising  degree  for 
the  small  quantity  I  had  taken.  It  was  a  veritable  snake 
concealed  under  a  nosegay  of  the  charmingest  and  most 
sweetly  scented  flowers.  I  looked  at  the  bottle  and  saw 
that  the  merchant  had  written  on  it  ''  1853."  It  was  a 
symbol  more  cabalistic  to  me  than  S.  T — 1860 — X. 

A  ISTight's  Experience. 

Just  as  darkness  fell,  I  came  to  a  forest  which  seemed 
perched  on  higher  ground  than  any  I  had  yet  found.     As 


36      TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK. 

I  stood  on  the  edge  of  the  forest  and  looked  back  in  the 
darkness,  the  prairie  seemed  a  great  sea  dotted  with  islands 
with  castles,  rolling  below  me.  The  waving  grasses  con- 
cealed and  then  disclosed  the  rising  stars  on  the  horizon, 
as  the  waves  do  on  the  sea.  It  lacked  only  the  roar  of 
the  billows  to  complete  the  delusion.  Penetrating  the  for- 
est, all  was  the  blackness  of  darkness,  save  where  the  open- 
ing of  the  road  admitted  the  starlight.  My  horse  labored 
along  over  a  surface  which  seemed  a  foot  deep  in  line, 
loose  sand,  a  remarkable  and  sudden  change  from  the 
black,  tenacious  soil  of  the  prairie.  His  laboring  through 
this  material,  sinking  beneath  his  feet,  became  painful  to 
me  to  witness,  and  I  listened  eagerly  for  the  baying  of 
some  honest  watch-dog  and  looked  for  a  glimmering  light 
through  the  forest,  indicating  some  human  residence. 
But  the  forest  only  became  denser  and  blacker,  the  road 
heavier,  and  the  silence  was  unbroken  save  by  the  sighing 
wind  and  the  hooting  owl.  Fully  two  hours  this  toilsome 
march  continued,  when  the  road  seemed  to  grow  so  ob- 
scure that  I  thought  I  might  have  strayed  away  upon 
some  interminable  trail  made  by  a  woodman  in  selecting 
and  hauling  timber.  Fearing  to  be  lost  in  such  a  wilder- 
ness, and  having  compassion  for  my  horse,  I  resolved  to 
encamp  in  the  woods,  though  illy  provided  for  such  occa- 
sion. I  rode  away  from  the  path,  and  finding  a  small 
open  space  on  which  I  might  stake  my  horse,  I  dismounted 
and  took  oif  his  accoutrements.  Leaving  him  with  forty 
feet  of  rope,  I  spread  my  saddle-blanket  under  a  branching 
iron-oak  to  shelter  me  from  the  night  dew.  With  my 
saddle  for  a  pillow,  and  no  other  covering  but  my  over- 
coat, I  endeavored  to  address  myself  to  slumber. 

I  had  dozed  I  cannot  tell  how  long,  with  no  great  de- 
gree of  discomfort,  when  I  was  disturbed  by  a  few  long, 
lonesome  howls  in  the  depth  of  the  forest.  These  were 
soon  answered  by  other  lonesome  howls  in  other  directions. 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON   HOKSEBACK.       37 

I  knew  from  the  peculiarly  doleful  and  heart-rending 
strains  that  these  were  wolves,  and  their  sonorousness  dis- 
tinctly declared  that  they  were  of  the  bigger  sort.  After 
a  while  the  howls  were  again  heard  in  every  direction, 
growing  nearer  and  nearer,  until  I  became  aware  that  I 
was  surrounded  by  a  cordon  of  ravenous  beasts.  At  last 
they  all  seemed  to  gather  together,  joining  in  a  most 
tumultuous  consultation,  in  which  they  expressed  them- 
selves by  a  mingled  howling,  yelping  and  piteous  crying. 
When  this  ceased,  I  heard  a  rushing  noise  in  the  rustling 
leaves,  and  my  horse  suddenly  starting,  dashed  away  with 
full  force,  snapping  the  rope  as  if  it  were  a  mere  thread. 
Away  he  plunged  through  the  forest  with  the  speed  of  the 
winds,  sending  forth  a  rapid  sound  from  under  his  heels. 
The  woods  then  seemed  alive  with  wolves,  and  they  snuffed 
the  air  all  around  me. 

A  sense  of  intense  desolation  w^ould  doubtless  have 
seized  me  here,  but  tbe  higher  instinct  of  self-preservation 
was  now  pressing  me.  It  occurred  to  me  that  these  wolves 
might  be  in  a  famished  condition,  and  having  failed  to  get 
my  horse,  might  not  scruple  to  make  a  supper  of  myself, 
if  the  temptation  were  allowed  to  stand  in  their  way.  Such 
things  surely  have  they  done  before.  What  was  I  to  do — 
a  lone  stranger  in  a  deep  forest  without  other  weapon  than 
a  pocket-knife  and  a  solitary  black  bottle  for  a  club? 
While  pondering  this  question,  the  wolves  put  up  a  most 
piteous  clamor,  as  if  intending  to  advise  me  that  they  were 
very  hungry,  and  asking  me  to  pardon  the  deed  they  were 
about  to  do.  I  looked  up  the  tree  under  which  I  had 
dozed.  A  large  limb  stood  temptingly  near  my  head.  I 
reached  up  and  grasped  it  by  both  hands,  and  with  a  bound 
sprang  into  the  tree.  Looking  higher  I  perceived  a  com- 
fortable fork  about  ten  feet  above,  and  climbing  from 
branch  to  branch,  I  was  soon  ensconced  within  it.  I  left 
below  a  bit  of  cheese  and  crackers  and  a  bottle  of  whiskey 


38      TWO   THOUSAKD   MILES   IN   TEXAS   O:^   HOHSEBACK. 

of  the  harvest  of  1853,  and  I  kindly  said  to  the  wolves: 
^^  Come,  poor  creatures,  and  feast!"  Would  I  not  have 
beei3  a  heartless  man  to  have  said  less  ? 

They  howled  and  moaned  around  me  for  some  time,  but 
I  could  not  persuade  them  to  come  and  partake  of  my 
charity.  I  spoke  to  them  gently  and  pointed  to  the  cheese 
and  whiskey  below,  but  they  responded  only  with  a  low 
moan,  as  if  they  meant  to  say:  "  Not  your  cheese  and  whis- 
key, but  you  !  "  One  fellow  amused  me  exceedingly.  He 
sat  on  his  haunches  about  twenty  feet  from  my  tree,  in- 
tently gazing,  now  upon  the  cheese  and  whiskey,  and  now 
casting  a  long,  lingering  look  upon  me.  Now  and  then  he 
would  lift  his  head  in  the  air,  moving  it  round  and  round, 
fling  his  jaws  wide  open,  and  looking  straight  at  me,  pour 
forth  a  moan  the  most  disconsolate  I  ever  heard  in  my  life. 
I  thought  he  was  trying  to  sing  the  old  melody: 

"  Thou  art  so  near  and  yet  so  far  ! " 

As  they  went  away  one  by  one,  I  fell  to  thinking  of 
the  utter  ludicrousness  of  my  position;  and  I  felt  rather 
ashamed  of  myself  for  a  moment  when  I  reflected  that  had 
I  descended  from  the  tree  and  said  ^^boo!"  to  the  wolves, 
they  would  probably  have  run  away  faster  than  my  horse 
did  from  them,  and  that  they  had  stopped  merely  to  satisfy 
their  curiosity  as  to  what  sort  of  creature  they  had  treed. 
But  I  reassured  myself  with  the  reflection  that  it  is  no 
part  of  manhood  or  courage  to  expose  one's  self  to  needless 
danger;  it  is  rather  the  part  of  fool-hardiness.  It  is  the 
duty  of  true  courage  to  preserve  itself  for  danger  which 
cannot  be  avoided,  and  it  cannot  be  denied  that,  to  all  ap- 
pearance, I  was  safer  in  that  tree  than  out  of  it.  I  de- 
scended, and  knowing  that  it  was  utterly  useless  to  attempt 
to  follow  my  horse  until  morning,  soon  fell  into  a  pro- 
found sleep. 

When  I  awaked,  the  first  rays  of  the  rising  sun  were 
glimmering  on  the  tops  of  the  trees,  and  I  felt  none  the 


TWO   THOUSAKD   MILES   IJ^  TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK.      39 

worse  for  my  couch  in  the  forest.  My  first  care  was  my 
horse.  Throwing  the  bridle  over  my  shoulders  and  putting 
the  other  accoutrements  over  the  limb  of  a  tree,  I  walked 
away  to  hunt  him.  About  a  hundred  yards  from  my  en- 
campment, a  narrow,  treeless  vale  or  hollow  opened  in  the 
forest,  leading  eastward.  The  grass  was  very  rich  in  it, 
and  I  had  little  doubt  that  I  would  soon  see  my  horse 
cropping  its  luxuriance.  I  was  not  disappointed,  for  pres- 
ently I  was  delighted  to  behold  him  about  a  half  mile  off, 
grazing  very  quietly.  When  within  fifty  yards  of  him,  I 
gathered  a  tempting  handful  of  grass,  and  holding  it  out 
to  him  as  I  approached,  said:  ^^Come,  old  fellow;  come, 
good  fellow  ! "  He  waited  until  I  was  ten  feet  from  him, 
when  he  tossed  his  head  in  the  air,  kicked  up  his  heels 
and  ran  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  and  resumed  his  grazing.  I 
followed.  This  time  I  gathered  what  I  considered  the 
most  tempting  stock  of  grass  in  the  prairie,  and  again 
endeavored  to  coax  him.  He  looked  at  me  disdainfully, 
as  if  he  meant  to  say:  ^'  Do  you  see  anything  green  in  my 
eye  ?  Do  you  think  I  am  such  a  fool  as  not  to  know  that 
I  can  pluck,  with  my  lips  and  teeth,  as  good  grass  on  this 
prairie  as  you  can  pluck  with  your  hands  ?  "  And  away 
he  went,  stopping  about  three  hundred  yards  off. 

A  Strakge  Apparition. 

I  was  greatly  perplexed  and  knew  not  what  to  do.  1 
was  considering  the  position,  all  involved  in  distress,  when 
I  happened  to  look  to  my  right,  and  beheld,  standing  on 
the  edge  of  the  timber,  motionless  as  a  statue  and  gazing 
intently  upon  me,  a  strange  object.  I  went  toward  it,  and 
it  had  the  form  of  a  man.  This  man,  or  likeness  of  a 
man,  was  about  four  and  a  half  feet  high,  broad  shoulders, 
bow-legged.  A  heavy  black  beard  nearly  covered  his  face, 
and  half  concealed  a  great  mouth  which  appeared  six 
inches  in  width.     There  was  a  singular  leer  in   his  little 


40      TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IK  TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK. 

grey  eyes,  which  expressed  I  could  not  tell  whether  malice^ 
roguishness,  or  idiocy.  Of  brow,  he  seemed  to  have  none 
whatever.  He  wore  buckskin  pants,  buckskin  jacket, 
moccasins  of  buckskin  on  his  feet ;  and  this  interesting 
assemblage  was  crowned  with  a  coon-skin  cap,  the  tail  of 
the  coon  falling  full  length  down  his  back.  A  heavy 
dragoon  pistol  was  buckled  round  his  waist,  and  the  same 
belt  held  a  knife  which  seemed  to  have  been  fashioned 
from  a  slab  of  iron.  At  his  side  hung  a  buckskin  sack,  fas- 
tened to  his  neck  by  a  buckskin  thong.  His  pants  and 
jacket  were  begrimed  and  greasy,  looking  as  if  the  sin- 
gular creature  who  wore  them  had  long  dwelt  in  a  smoke- 
house, among  bacon  and  fat-casks. 

He  remained  motionless,  and  did  not  even  deign 
a  wink  of  the  eye  until  I  addressed  him.  I  said : 
^-'Will  you  be  so  kind,  sir,  as  to  help  me  catch  my 
horse  ?  " 

'^Oh  yes,  oh  yes,"  said  he.  '-'And  I  think  you  need 
help.  I  have  seen  you  trying  to  catch  him  a  long  time," 
he  added  in  a  coarse,  gruff  voice,  which  seemed  better 
suited  to  the  lungs  of  a  giant  than  a  dwarf. 

^^  Do  you  think,  sir,  you  can  catch  him  ?" 

''  Oh  yes,  oh  yes.  Come  along  and  see  how  quickly  I 
will  do  it." 

He  led  the  way  and  I  walked  by  his  side,  wondering 
what  he  would  do.  When  within  fifty  yards  of  my  horse 
he  asked  me  to  stand  still,  while  he  drew  from  his  sack 
an  ear  of  corn,  which  advancing  he  held  out  to  him,  say- 
ing, ''  cubby  !  cubby  ! "  The  horse  raised  his  head,  looked 
at  him  a  moment, 'and  then  walked  straight  up  to  him. 
He  seized  him,  and  the  next  moment  I  had  my  bridle 
upon  him.  I  offered  the  dwarf  reward,  but  he  scornfully 
refused  it,  saying  he  was  ^^not  so  hard  up  as  to  come  down 
to  that  sort  o'  meanness  yet." 

''Well  sir,"  said  I,  *' with  my  saddle  I  left  some  very 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IK   TEXAS   01^   HORSEBACK.      41 

fine  spirits.  May  I  not  ask  the  honor  of  a  morning  dram 
with  you  ?  " 

•^Oh  yes,  oh  yes!"  And  his  eyes  sparkled.  I  rode 
on  the  horse's  bare  back  and  the  dwarf  walked  by  my  side. 
I  kept  my  eye  upon  him,  because  in  truth  I  was  a  little 
suspicious  of  this  unaccountable  fellow.  Keaching  my  en- 
campment I  handed  him  the  bottle  and  a  cup,  saying, 
*^ drink  largely."  He  obeyed  the  injunction;  he  took  a 
deep  potation,  raising  his  head  and  smiling  at  the  woods 
as  he  did  so.  "  Look  here,  stranger,"  said  he,  ^^  this  is 
liquor  what's  liquor.  It  cheers  me  up  all  the  way  down." 
And  he  smacked  his  lips  with  joy.  Knowing  its  latent 
power  I  touched  it  with  caution. 

It  made  him  voluble  and  hospitable.  Hitherto  as  re- 
served and  unsocial  as  an  owl,  he  now  glowed  with  viva- 
city. Never  did  iceberg  melt  half  so  rapidly  under  a  trop- 
ical sun.  ^^I  know  you  are  hungry,"  said  he.  ^^  Come 
with  me  to  my  den  and  have  a  good  breakfast  with  me  ! " 

I  did  not  like  that  word  ^^den."  It  sounded  suspi- 
ciously. Was  I  in  fact  in  company  with  a  Eobin  Hood 
of  the  forest,  or  some  skulking  criminal  who  had  hidden 
in  these  deep  recesses  ?  I  looked  at  him  more  guardedly 
than  ever.  How  did  I  know  that  he  might  not  be  seeking 
some  favorable  opportunity  to  pierce  me  with  a  bullet 
from  that  heavy  pistol  ?  I  thanked  him,  and  declined  his 
invitation  politely,  on  the  ground  that  it  would  probably 
detain  me  too  long  from  my  journey,  and  asked  him  to 
join  me  in  another  smile.  "  With  all  my  heart,  sir  ;  with 
all  my  heart  ; "  and  another  heavy  draught  gurgled  down 
his  throat.  Then,  resting  against  a  tree  with  both  hands 
in  his  pockets,  he  said  :  ^^  Well,  stranger,  you  don't  know 
what  to  think  of  me  nohows.  Don't  you  think  I  am 
Governor  Dicky  Coke  ?  Ah,  Dickey  Coke — he  is  the 
greatest  man  in  the  world.  Hurrah  for  Dicky  Coke ! 
When  he  gits  into  the  Senate,  though,  won't   he  make 


42      TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK. 

them  fellows  stand  aroiin'  ?  Well,  stranger,  I  am  a  stock- 
raiser  by  profession — that  is,  I  flourishes  by  the  industry 
of  my  sows  and  boars  ;  that  is,  I,  sir,  am  a  pig-raiser.  I 
can  blow  my  horn  and  all  these  woods  will  sound  with  the 
grunting  of  my  boars  and  sows  and  shoats,  and  the  squeal- 
ing of  my  pigs,  sir.  Sir,  I  am  a  man  of  income.  Greatest 
country  in  the  world  for  boars  and  sows.  These  acorns 
feeds  them.  I  give  'em  just  corn  enough  to  gintle  'em,  and 
when  killing  time  comes,  just  enough  to  harden  their  fat. 
If  you  would  be  a  man  of  income,  stranger,  stop  here  and 
raise  hogs." 

"  I  thank  thee,^  said  I,  "  for  the  advice,  and  it  is  not 
impossible  I  may  one  day  be  a  pig-raiser,  and  thy  neighbor 
too.     But  how  about  the  wolves  ?  " 

"Ah,  the  wolves  won't  phase  your  stock  at  all.  You 
see  when  the  wolves  comes,  the  hogs  form  in  a  ring  with 
the  pigs  in  the  middle.  No  wolves  darsn't  charge  that 
ring ;  never,  sir ;  no  wolves  darsn't  charge  that  ring.  They 
catch  your  calves,  but  never  your  pigs.  Be  a  pig-raiser, 
stranger,  be  a  pig-raiser  ! " 

*'The  sun  is  mounting  high  in  the  heavens,  and  it  is 
time  for  another  smile.    Join  me,  sir  ;  join  me  in  another  ! " 

"To  be  sure,  sir ;  to  be  sure,"  said  he. 

I  poured  the  cup  for  him  nearly  full.  He  drank  it  and 
slid  downward  against  the  tree,  and  sat  at  its  foot  leaning 
against  the  trunk.  "Grlory  !"  said  he.  "  Stranger,  why 
don't  you  send  a  bottle  of  this  to  Governor  Coke  ?  " 

I  invited  him  to  take  another.  He  accepted.  I  gave 
him  the  last  drop  in  the  bottle.  He  drank  it  and  fell  over 
on  his  side  ;  then  stretched  himself  out  on  his  back  full 
length,  and  passed  away  into  profound  slumber.  I  placed 
his  coon-skin  cap  over  his  eyes,  the  Cat  Springs  bottle  by 
his  side,  and  left  him  alone  in  his  glory.  I  mounted  my 
horse  and  silently  stole  away.  How  long  he  slept  I  wot 
not. 


V. 

Lageange,    The  Coloeado. 

AS  I  rode  on,  the  forest  continued,  but  the  soil  grew 
rich  :  a  sandy  loam,  the  delight  of  the  agriculturist, 
black  with  the  decayed  leaves  and  trunks  of  the  forest. 
The  wild  grape,  of  several  varieties,  grew  rampant  on  this 
mellow  soil,  awaiting  only  the  hands  of  the  skilled  vintager 
to  make  the  country  flow  with  purple  wine.* 

Noble  mulberry  trees,  the  largest  I  ever  saw,  were  scat- 
tered here  and  there  through  the  forest,  and  became  more 
numerous  as  I  rode  along.  These  were  free  gifts  from 
the  hands  of  nature,  and  their  noble  stature  and  luxuriance 
of  bough  indicate  unerringly  to  these  people  that  they  may 
weave  as  rich  a  silk  as  ever  sparkled  on  a  Chinese  mandarin. 
The  oaks  seemed  literally  to  droop  under  their  crop  of 
acorns,  and  the  pigs  grunted  extreme  satisfaction  as  they 
stirred  the  fallen  leaves  with  their  noses.  I  thought  of  my 
prostrate  friend  the  pig-raiser,  and  could  not  wonder  at  his 

*  One  of  the  most  abundant  of  the  wild  grapes  of  Texas  is  the  Mustang  or 
Cut-Throat,  as  the  Texans  sometimes  call  it.  It  is  a  great  bearer,  hardj  as  a 
Polar  bear,  is  universal  throughout  the  State,  and  is  confined  solely  to  Texas, 
80  far  as  I  know.  It  derives  the  name  Cut-Throat  from  the  acrid  juice  lying  be- 
tween the  skin  and  the  pulp— so  acrid  that  it  cannot  be  eaten  with  much  comfort 
unless  the  skin  is  slipped  ofi"  before  the  pulp  is  put  in  the  mouth.  I  do  not  doubt 
that  the  finest  grapes  may  be  raised  on  this  hardy  native  vine ;  and  this  has  been 
proved  by  a  gentleman  of  Waco,  who  has  succeeded  in  producing  probably  the 
handsomest  grape  in  cultivation  by  impregnating  its  blossom  with  the  White 
Hungarian.  The  grape  thus  produced  has  the  sweetness  of  the  Hungarian  with 
the  game  flavor  of  the  Texan.  I  have  little  doubt  that  from  this  cross  will  come 
one  of  the  best  sparkling  wine  grapes  of  the  world— a  wine  as  lively  as  champagne, 
but  with  more  heft  and  strength  of  body.  Of  the  juice  of  the  Mustang  without 
hybridization,  a  very  fair  claret  is  made. 


44      TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   OK    HORSEBACK. 

eulogy  of  the  pig-business,  where  nature  showers  tender- 
loins and  rich  sausages.  I  was  tempted  to  gather  and  eat 
a  handful  of  these  acorns,  and  they  were  nearly  as  sweet  as 
chestnuts.  Of  all  oaks  of  the  forest  perhaps  the  post  or 
iron-oak  yields  the  richest  and  most  abundant  nuts. 

An  hour's  ride  suddenly  disclosed  to  me,  hidden  in  a 
nook  formed  by  surrounding  forest  and  wooded  hills,  nearly 
concealed  under  a  wealth  of  mulberry  and  evergreens,  the 
pretty  little  town  of  Lagrange,  which  struck  me  at  once  as 
a  seat  of  rural  opulence.  And  sooth,  so  it  is.  It  does  not 
contain,  I  judge,  more  than  fifteen  hundred  people,  and 
there  are  no  imposing  structures,  but  there  is  that  about  it 
which  declares  at  once  the  true  gentleman  :  enough  to  be 
at  ease,  pleasing  engagement  and  aspirations,  a  happy  con- 
science and  a  beaming  future.  We  occasionally  meet  a 
man,  who  though  a  stranger  to  us,  bears  this  history  writ- 
ten all  over  him ;  and  so  it  is  with  this  village  that  rests  in 
the  nook,  where  you  may  hear  in  the  busiest  part  9f  the  day 
the  blue  Colorado  murmuring  over  its  pebbly  bottom. 
Churches  and  numerous  schools  bespeak  Christian  civiliza- 
tion ;  the  pretty,  neatly  dressed  girls,  who  almost  forbear 
to  steal  a  glance  at  you  as  you  pass,  bespeak  refinement, 
and  all  that  is  around  bespeaks  easy  well-to-do. 

It  is  tiie  capital  of  Fayette  County,  one  of  the  richest 
and  most  populous  regions  of  Texas.  Last  year  this 
county  produced  forty-five  thousand  bales  of  cotton,  nearly 
all  of  which  was  bought  and  sold  again  by  the  merchants 
of  Lagrange.  This  turned  loose  about  two  hundred  and 
seventy-five  thousand  dollars  of  gold  on  her  streets.  Now 
add  to  this  the  hides,  wool,  grain,  and  bacon  and  lard, 
yielding  another  sum  as  large,  annually  increasing,  and  it 
is  not  strange  that  an  air  of  opulence  should  rest  upon  this 
village  in  the  nook.  I  should  mentioQ,  too,  beer,  for  they 
brew  here  as  delightful  lager  as  ever  warmed  the  portly 
stomach  of  Gambrinus.     The  people  seem  to  be  about  half 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON    HORSEBACK.        45 

American  and  half  German,  and  I  judge  that  they  are  made 
up  of  the  best  that  is  German  and  the  best  that  is  Ameri- 
can. I  observe  that  there  is  a  great  preponderance  of 
blonde  beauties,  by  which  I  judge  that  the  German  and 
the  American  stream  are  gradually  fading  away  into  each 
other  and  becoming  inextricably  blended.  It  is  a  meeting 
and  mingling  at  last  of  two  streams  that  have  separated 
and  flowed  away  from  the  same  parent  source,  each  to  be 
reinvigorated  probably  by  the  remingling. 

And  yet  this  community,  so  rich  and  populous,  has  no 
other  means  of  transferring  its  products  to  market  but  the 
wagon  and  team.  So  anxious  are  they  for  a  railroad  that 
they  say  :  ^^  Build  the  Texas  Western  to  Cat  Springs  or 
Belleville,  and  we  will  grade  and  tie  thence  to  Lagrange. 
We  will  not  stop  by  the  wayside  to  build  towns  and  specu- 
late in  lots.  We  will  do  the  work  as  quickly  as  money  and 
muscle  can  do  it."  When  they  get  this  road  this  commu- 
nity and  the  region  around  will  become  to  Houston  and 
Galveston  what  Sicily  was  to  Eome — its  granary  and  lar- 
der. Rich  as  it  is  now,  the  mine  but  barely  touched,  it 
will  become  a  hundred-fold  richer.  It  is  a  good  region  to 
migrate  to.* 

My  horse  and  myself  having  breakfasted  on  the  viands 
that  were  best  for  us  both,  and  having  enjoyed  two 
full  hours  of  rest,  I  rode  away,  my  face  still  to  the  west- 
ward :  in  all  respects  the  same  as  when  I  rode  away  yester- 
day morning,  save  that  I  was  minus  the  Cat  Springs  bottle. 
That  bottle,  innocent  as  it  was,  had  brought  me  the  long 
slumber  on  the  prairie,  the  night  melodious  with  wolves, 
the  perplexing  pursuit  of  my  horse,  the  pig-raiser  prostrate 
under  the  iron-oak  ;  and  as  Lagrange  was  a  superior  place, 
I  thought  I  had  better  not  substitute  it  with  a  Lagrange 

♦  When  Houston  and  Galveston  can  sell  bacon  and  lard  nearly  as  cheap  as 
St  Louis,  how  will  it  affect  South  American  and  West  Indian  trade  ? 


46      TWO  THOUSAND   MILES  I:N"   TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK. 

bottle,  lest  that  bottle  should  prove  more  fantastic,  and 
call  up  more  wonders  than  Aladdin's  Lamp, 

I  stood  upon  the  bank  of  the  Colorado,  and  it  seemed 
a  glorious  poem  moving  before  me  ;  so  beautiful  was  it  in 
itself  and  so  beautiful  in  the  reminiscences  it  recalled.  If 
one  when  he  was  a  beardless  boy,  has  ever  loved  a  bright  little 
fairy  who  played  on  the  banks  of  the  Colorado,  or  any  other 
surpassingly  lovely  stream,  and  spoke  the  first  whisper  of 
love  amid  the  murmur  of  its  waters,  he  can  partly  compre- 
hend my  feelings  as  I  stood  and  contemplated.  The  same 
sparkling  water — a  collection  it  seemed  of  all  the  brightest 
drops  of  the  dews  of  Heaven — laughed  and  sang  over  cas- 
cades here,  and  eddied  in  deep  blue  pools  there  ;  the  same 
bubbles  danced  along,  and  every  ripple  seemed  to  give  me 
a  glimpse  of  her  image.  As  we  grow  older  we  can  smile 
as  we  choose  at  the  little  follies  of  the  first  dawn  of  love, 
but  it  is  the  one  spot  of  our  lives  that  is  the  sweetest  of 
all,  and  when  we  think  of  it  our  thoughts  involuntarily 
become  a  poesy  and  a  music.  If  this  is  not  Heaven  or  a 
taste  of  it,  I  cannot  judge  what  is.  I  believe  there  is  but 
one  love,  and  that  is  first  love  :  that  which  comes  after- 
ward is  the  rose  when  its  perfume  is  gone,  and  when  its 
youth  is  withered.  Better  let  your  love  go  with  the  per- 
fume of  the  rose.  When  I  stepped  upon  the  ferry  boat  I 
stooped  and  kissed  the  sparkling  Colorado  ;  for  it  seemed 
the  very  drop  which  she  had  just  kissed  before  me,  or  at 
least  had  kissed  in  the  old  timey  days.* 

This  river  is  called  the  twin-brother  of  the  Brazos,  but 
there  is  no  likeness  whatever  between  them.  Indeed  it  is 
remarkable  that  there  should  be  such  variance  in  two  rivers 
which  for  six  hundred  miles  flow  almost  along-side  of 
each  other.  The  Brazos  creeps  along  silently,  dark  and 
forbidding,  while  the  Colorado  cheers  you  with  a  merry 

*  And  still  I  did  not  marry  her.    The  last  time  I  saw  her  she  had  grown  large 
and  fat,  and  was  the  mother  of  three  bouncing  boys,  of  which  I  was  not  the  father. 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN  TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.      47 

voice  and  with  waters  as  bright  as  any  that  sparkle  under 
the  heavens  ;  clear  as  the  light  of  a  diamond  where  it  leaps 
over  cascades  or  glances  down  rapids,  and  of  the  deep  blue 
of  the  skies  where  they  are  n^ost  ethereal,  when  it  glides 
quietly  through  pools.  The  Brazos  makes  us  think  of 
toads  spitting  vapors  from  their  mouths,  while  Pleasure 
and  Youthful  Jollity  seem  to  hover  incessantly  over  the 
Colorado. 

To  one  who  looks  upon  these  beautiful  waters,  the 
name  ^^red-colored,"  seems  a  misnomer  and  a  wickedness  ; 
but  a  few  moments  of  observation  will  teach  us  how  care- 
ful and  apt  were  the  old  Spaniards  in  their  selection  of 
names  for  natural  objects.  AVe  beliold  its  wide  valleys  and 
all  its  detritus  of  a  rich  chocolate-brown,  strongly  inclin- 
ing to  red  ;  and  this  peculiarity  marks  the  river  from 
its  source  to  its  mouth.  During  periods  of  swplls  the 
river  is  always  Inflamed,  and  when  these  come  from  its 
main  channel,  far  above,  he  has  put  on  his  war-paint  in- 
deed. I  am  not  sure  from  what  peculiar  sedi|iiei}t  this 
color  is  derived.  I  have  traced  the  river  far  above  the 
mouth  of  the  Concho,  and  saw  nothing  froi^i  whiph  it  may 
have  been  derived.  Above  thaji  river  ijt  is  inflai^ed  more 
than  ever,  showing  that  its  war-paint  is  gathered  from  the 
vast  uninhabited  region  beyond,  from  a  so}l  derived  proba- 
bly from  the  decomposition  of  porphyritic  rocks,  Be  it 
what  it  may,  the  deposit  of  red  material  is  enormous,  for 
it  has  colored  the  earth  of  the  valley  along  its  whole  course 
to  unknown  depths.* 

And  a  good  fertiliser  is  this  rnysteripi^s  sediment, 
which  it  almost  annually  spreads  over  the  valley,  renewing 
the  richness  which  the  crops  have  extracted..  The  valley 
is  not  regarded  as  quite  so  rich  as  the  Brazos  Bottoms, 

*  The  red  Permian,  rich  in  copper  ai;d  pcjiires,  is  largely  developed  above  the 
mouth  of  the  Concho,  and  the  Colorado  has  doubtless  obtained  its  coloring 
matter  from  these  deposits  mostly. 


48      TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK. 

but  it  is  still  rich  enough,  in  all  conscience.  The  same 
crops  that  flourish  on  the  Brazos  flourish  quite  as  well 
here,  and  for  grains  it  is  better,  producing  more  weight 
and  substance  to  the  bushel.  The  valleys  are  not  so  wide, 
or  so  heavily  timbered,  but  the  wood  is  more  compact  and 
durable,  and  there  is  not  a  purer  and  healthier  clime  in 
the  world.  The  river  along  its  whole  course  is  noted  for 
its  beautiful  and  often  exquisite  scenery.  Perhaps  no 
river  can  furnish  more  charming  pictures  for  the  pencil  of 
the  artist.* 

Crossing  the  river  and  clearing  the  forests  of  the  val- 
ley, mountains,  so-called,  rock-ribbed  and  venerable,  ap- 
pear before  me.  They  are  by  far  the  tallest  elevations  yet 
seen  on  my  journey,  and  seem  to  mark  the  approach  of  a 
new  geological  era.  They  are  flanked  with  sandstone  at 
their  bases,  excellent  for  building,  and  higher  up  with 
limestone,  good  for  quicklime.  From  base  to  pinnacle 
they  are  heavily  covered  with  sombre  forests  of  cedar,  fur- 
nishing the  neighboring  farms  with  everlasting  fencing 
material.  This  durable  timber  abounds  in  this  region, 
frequently  spreading  over  the  lowlands  in  forests,  and  of 
gr^at  size.  When  accessible  to  railroads  it  will  be  of  great 
value  for  ties. 

*  One  of  the  most  remarkable  deposits  of  marble  iu  the  world  occurs  on  this 
river,  at  what  is  known  as  the  Marble  Falls,  about  forty  miles  above  Austin. 
The  river  for  several  miles  has  cut  its  way  through  a  bed  of  marble  of  several 
varieties,  including  black,  and  all  of  the  finest  quality.  The  whole  region 
round  about  abounds  with  marble,  so  accessible  that  some  of  the  farmers  have 
built  their  fences  of  it,  and  the  chimneys  of  the  cabins  are  of  the  same  magnificent 
material!  The  locality  is  remarkable  for  its  picturesque  beauty,  and  the  river 
here  has  an  immense  water-power,  sufficient  to  ti;rij  all  the  machinej-y  in  Texas, 
and  more. 


VI. 

The  Devil  aj^d  Strap  Buckker. 

A  MILE  above  the  ferry,  I  entered  a  charming  valley 
leading  from  the  west.  It  was  a  succession  of  farms 
after  farm.  The  song  of  the  plowman  was  merry  in  the 
air,  and  there  was  an  odor  of  the  newly-turned  soil,  which 
showed  just  a  tint  of  the  coloring  matter  of  the  Colorado, 
proving  that  the  mighty  river  had  invaded  the  valley  with 
its  back-water.  Gentle  slopes  and  eminences  and  detached 
groves  of  oak  looked  upon  this  pleasant  valley  from  either 
side.  Through  the  middle  of  it  flowed  a  small  stream 
known  as  Buckner's  Creek.  The  invariable  cotton  bale 
was  piled  in  every  yard,  awaiting  the  pleasure  of  the 
farmer  to  be  converted  into  gold. 

I  had  ridden  a  few  miles  up  this  attractive  valley  when 
a  young  horseman  cantered  up  by  my  side,  travelling  the 
same  direction  with  myself.  He  was  dressed  in  faultless 
neatness,  but  there  was  something  in  his  Byron  collar  and 
the  little  blue  ribbon  about  his  neck,  as  well  as  his  large, 
bright,  black  eyes,  which  seemed  to  say  that  the  sunny 
hill-sides,  the  shady  forests,  the  murmuring  river  and  the 
blue  distances  were  to  him  a  delight  and  love.  A  soft  felt 
hat  sat  jauntily  on  his  head,  but  did  not  conceal  his  broad, 
pale  brow.  I  said  involuntarily  as  he  checked  his  pranc- 
ing steed  beside  me  and  bowed  politely  :  ''  A  young  gen- 
tleman and  a  scholar  !  "  His  steed,  handsomely  cajDari- 
soned,  glossy  with  kind  handling  and  abundant  provender, 
gay  with  exuberant  spirit,  seemed  meet  companion  for  his 
rider,  and  proud  of  the  burden  he  bore. 

a 


50      TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   O:^   IIOESEBACK. 

After  an  interchange  of  courtesies  and  some  pleasant 
conversation,  I  asked  why  the  sparkling  brook  was  called 
Buckner's  Creek,  and  why  it  had  not  been  named  for 
some  water-nymph,  who,  in  the  mythological  days,  must 
have  chosen  it  for  her  haunt ;  or  for  some  Indian  prin- 
cess with  a  musical  name  who  had  lived  and  loved  on  its 
banks  ? 

"  Ah,"  said  he,  turning  upon  me  with  his  beaming 
eyes,  which  grew  larger  and  brighter,  ''  and  thereby  hangs 
a  tale — a  tale  of  the  olden  time.  And  as  I  perceive  that 
you  are  one  who  loves  knowledge  and  light,  whose  delight 
is  to  know,  I  will  tell  it  to  you  if  you  will  have  the  patience 
to  hear  me." 

I  thanked  him  and  begged  him  to  proceed. 

You  must  know  then,  continued  he,  that  this  vale  in 
which  you  are  riding,  is  one  that  has  witnessed  strange 
company  and  remarkable  events.  There  is  not  one  foot 
of  this  soil  beneath  your  feet,  which,  had  it  a  tongue  to 
speak,  could  not  a  tale  unfold  that  would  harrow  up  your 
young  heart.  Even  the  zephyrs,  as  I  fancy,  occasionally 
lisp  it  with  their  airy  tongues.  In  the  olden  time  there 
came  to  Texas  with  Austin,  who,  you  are  aware,  brought 
^^  the  first  three  hundred "  Americans  who  founded  this 
great  commonwealth,  a  youth  whose  name  was  Strap  Buck- 
ner.  Where  he  was  born,  whence  his  lineage,  or  why  he 
bore  the  name  of  Strap  the  records  do  not  tell  :  whether  he 
was  so  christened  at  the  font,  or  because  he  was  a  stalwart, 
strapping  youth.  Certain  it  is,  he  was  of  giant  stature, 
and  of  the  strength  of  ten  lions,  and  he  used  it  as  ten  lions. 
His  hair  was  of  the  redness  of  flame,  as  robust  as  the  mane 
of  a  charger,  and  his  face  it  was  freckled.  He  was  of  a 
kindly  nature,  as  most  men  of  giant  strength  are,  but  he 
had  a  pride  in  his  strength  which  grew  ungovernable. 
With  no  provocation  whatever,  he  knocked  men  down  with 
the  kindest  intentions  and  no  purpose  to  harm  them.     He 


TWO   THOUSAND    MILES    IK    TEXAS   ON    HORSEBACK.       51 

would  enter  a  circle  of  gentlemen  with  a  smiling  yisage, 
and  knock  them  all  down  ;  and  when  any  received  bruised 
or  broken  limbs,  he  nursed  them  with  more  than  the  ten- 
derness of  a  mother,  and  with  a  degree  of  enthusiasm  as  if 
his  whole  heart  was  bent  on  restoring  them  to  health  as 
soon  as  practicable,  in  order  that  he  might  enjoy  the  pleas- 
ure of  knocking  them  down  again.  Indeed,  he  nursed 
them  with  the  enthusiasm  of  a  true  genius  which  fires  itself 
onward  to  the  fulfillment  of  some  great  aspiration  ;  and 
his  genius  was  to  knock  men  down.  He  knocked  down 
Austin's  whole  colony  at  least  three  times  over,  including 
the  great  and  good  Austin  himself. 

He  could  plant  a  blow  with  his  fist  so  strongly  that  it 
was  merry  pastime  with  him  to  knock  a  yearling  bull  stark 
dead  ;  and  even  the  frontlet  of  a  full  grown  animal  could 
not  withstand  him.  In  those  days  a  huge  black  bull 
appeared  mysteriously  in  Austin's  colony,  who  by  his  fero- 
city became  a  terror  to  the  settlement,  and  was  known  by 
the  dread  name  of  Noche.  Strap  challenged  this  bull  to 
single  combat,  and  invited  the  colony  to  witness  the  en- 
counter. When  the  day  came  the  entire  colony  looked 
from  their  doors  and  windows,  being  afraid  to  go  out ; 
every  one,  probably,  praying  that  both  Strap  and  the  bull 
would  be  slain.  He  threw  a  red  blanket  over  his  shoulder, 
and  walked  on  the  prairie  with  the  air  of  a  hero  who  goes 
forth  to  meet  a  mighty  foeman.  He  bore  no  weapon  what- 
ever. When  the  bull  perceived  him,  he  tossed  his  tail 
aloft  and  switched  it  hither  and  thither,  pawed  the  earth, 
and  emitted  a  roar  of  thunder.  Strap  imitated  him,  and 
pawed  and  roared  also  ;  which  perceiving,  the  bull  came 
toward  him  like  a  thunderbolt  clothed  in  tempest  and  ter- 
ror. Strap  received  him  with  a  blow  on  his  frontlet  from 
his  bare  fist,  which  sent  him  staggering  back  upon  his 
haunches,  and  the  blood  flowed  from  his  smoking  nostrils. 
Eecovering  from  his  surprise,  Noche,  to  the  astonishment 

or  THE 


62      TWO   THOUSAND    MILES    I>f    TEXAS    OX    HORSEBACK. 

of  all,  turned  tail  and  fled  away,  bellowing.  He  was  never 
more  seen  in  those  parts. 

Strap's  fame  greatly  arose,  insomuch  that  men  looked 
upon  him  in  awe,  and  maidens  and  strong  women  pined 
in  secret  admiration.  He  became  a  great  hunter,  using 
no  other  weapon  but  his  fist  and  an  iron  pestle  or  mace, 
which  he  threw  with  the  accuracy  of  rifle  aim  when  the 
prey  refused  him  encounter  in  close  quarters.  The  wild- 
cat and  the  bear  emigrated,  and  the  buffalo  bade  a  lasting 
farewell  to  the  lowlands. 

About  this  time  also  Strap  became  addicted  to  strong 
drink  and  grew  boisterous,  to  such  a  degree  that  people 
shunned  him  in  spite  of  his  kindly  nature.  No  man  would 
meet  him  alone  ;  but  when  he  was  seen  approaching,  men 
would  shut  themselves  up  in  their  houses,  or  collect  in 
knots,  all  with  guns  and  pistols  cocked.  Strap  now  rea- 
soned within  himself  and  determined  he  would  seek  other 
fields  of  glory.  Said  he  to  himself  reflectively:  "  It  is  ever 
thus.  When  a  man  of  genius  appears  in  the  world  he 
may  be  recognized  by  this  infallible  sigii  :  That  all  the 
dunces  are  immediately  in  confederacy  against  him."  So, 
early  on  a  bright  spring  morning  he  arose,  and  throwing 
his  bundle  of  raiment  over  his  left  shoulder,  and  bearing 
his  iron  pestle  in  his  right  hand,  he  turned  his  back  upon 
the  unappreciative  community.  The  people  stood  at  their 
doors  and  windows — the  men  and  the  women,  the  boys  and 
the  girls — and  watched  him  departing,  and  with  one  voice 
exclaimed:  *'Fare  thee  well.  Strap  Buckner,  and  joy  go 
with  thee  and  with  thy  house  ! "  Strap  turned,  and  in  the 
kindness  of  his  heart  exclaimed:  ^^  Fare  thee  well,  San 
Felipe  !  Sweet  be  thy  cradled  slumbers !  I  go  to  meet 
I^oche,  who  has  sent  me  a  challenge  through  the  air. 
Sleep  in  security,  San  Felipe  ;  for  Strap  Buckner  watches 
over  thy  slumbers."  And  in  the  kindness  of  his  heart  he 
brushed  a  tear  from  his  eye,  and  strode  rapidly  away. 


TWO    THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON    HORSEBACK.       53 

He  travelled  west  over  the  great  plains.  It  would  be 
long  to  tell  you  his  many  strange  adventures  by  the  way, 
but  I  may  do  so  should  we  meet  again.  Methinks  I  see 
two  soft  blue  eyes  over  my  shoulder,  and  hear  a  sweet 
whisper  bidding  me  hasten  to  the  bower,  and  I  must  cut 
the  story  short ;  besides,  the  point  where  we  must  separate 
approaches.  After  days  of  wonders  Strap  reached  the  site 
where  Lagrange  now  is,  and  to  his  surprise  found  a  soli- 
tary trading-house,  where  Bob  Turket  and  Bill  Smotherall 
exchanged  beads  and  liquor  with  the  Indians  for  furs  and 
skins,  and  for  horses  they  might  steal.  He  liked  the  coun- 
try greatly,  and  whiskey  being  accessible,  he  determined 
to  abide  in  these  quarters.  On  the  first  day  of  his  arrival, 
he  knocked  down  both  Bob  Turket  and  Bill  Smotherall, 
but  he  did  it  so  handsomely  and  with  such  an  air  of  un- 
speakable kindness,  that  they  could  conceive  no  offence. 
Before  a  week  had  elapsed  he  had  knocked  down  every 
Indian  brave  who  dwelt  within  ten  miles  round;  and  finally 
he  knocked  down  the  great  king  himself,  Tuleahcahoma, 
in  the  presence  of  the  queen,  Muchalatota,  and  the  fair 
princess,  Tulipita.  He  gained  such  renown  among  the 
Indians  that  they  called  him  Kokulblothetopoff ;  that  is 
to  say;  the  Red  Son  of  Blue  Thunder.  The  great  king 
held  him  in  such  reverence  that  he  presented  him  with  a 
grey  horse  with  a  bob-tail,  which  though  ugly  and  lank  to 
look  at,  was  famed  as  the  swiftest  horse  known  to  all  the 
Indians;  and  he  offered  him  the  fair  Princess  Tulipita  in 
marriage.  The  Princess  he  rejected,  because  he  prized  his 
strength  above  all  things,  and  forbore  to  waste  any  of  it 
for  woman,  though  a  fair  princess.  Tulipita  sobbed  in 
silence,  and  let  concealment,  like  the  worm  in  the  bud, 
feed  on  her  copper  cheeks. 

Now  this  great  king  and  his  powerful  tribe  dwelt  in 
this  fair  valley  in  which  you  ride.  Strap  saw  it,  and  he 
loved  the  beautiful  land.     He  resolved  to  settle  within  it. 


54       TWO   THOUSAKD   MILES   IIS    TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK. 

persuaded  thereto  partly  no  doubt,  by  the  sight  of  the 
swarming  population  whom  he  might  pound,  and  by  ob- 
serving that  should  he  become  thirsty,  his  swift  grey  nag 
would  quickly  bear  him  where  he  might  imbibe  his  fill. 
He  chose  yon  lovely  site,  and  there  built  his  residence  of 
cedar  posts.  He  procured  a  jug  of  whiskey  and  sat  up 
housekeeping,  an  object  of  great  reverence  to  his  neigh- 
bors. Daily  he  went  forth  and  knocked  down  many 
Indians  with  great  grace.  At  last  they  conceived  that 
they  did  not  like  this,  and  they  determined  to  abandon 
the  vale.  On  a  dark  night  they  silently  stole  away,  and 
next  morning  Strap  found  himself  desolate  and  alone. 
AVhen  he  beheld  the  deserted  valley,  but  yesterday  teem- 
ing with  braves  and  fair  maidens,  he  wept  in  the  kindness 
of  his  heart.  *^  Other  friends,"  said  he,  'Miave  left  me 
before.  Such  is  the  common  penalty  of  greatness.  The 
great  mountains  stand  in  isolation  ;  their  heads  are  clothed 
in  clouds  and  thunder  ;  their  brows  are  encircled  with 
glittering  coronets  of  ice.  They  never  shake  hands,  and 
know  no  sweet  familiarities.  They  live  in  cold,  solitary 
grandeur.  Thus  whom  the  gods  make  great  they  make 
miserable,  in  that  their  greatness  lifts  them  into  solitude. 
Men  and  ^vomen  shun  me  for  my  greatness,  and  the  bolts 
of  heaven  most  frequently  pierce  the  sides  of  the  greatest 
mountains.  It  is  their  greatness  that  invites  the  shafts.'' 
And  he  wept  salt  tears  in  the  fullness  of  his  great  heart. 

Two  days  he  pondered  on  his  greatness  and  his  misery, 
and  the  struggle  between  his  genius  and  his  better  spirit 
was  terrible.  You  know,  sir,  that  of  all  the  forces  that 
exist,  genius  is  the  most  subtle,  the  most  unquiet  and  the 
most  powerful.  He  who  hath  it,  hath  a  heaving  ocean  or  a 
volcano  in  his  breast.  It  is  nursed  and  strengthened  by 
opposition,  as  the  eagle  scorns  the  mountain  tops  which 
have  said  to  him  :  ''  Hither  shalt  thou  soar,  but  no  higher  !  " 
Pinching  penury  and  gaunt  sickness  cannot  prevail  against 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK.      55 

it  ;  nay,  not  even  a  mother-in-law  hath  force  to  quench  it. 
It  is  like  unto  measles  and  small-pox,  for  when  once  im- 
planted in  a  man,  it  will  break  forth  and  have  its  course. 
He  that  hath  a  genius  must  needs  let  it  work  ;  else  it  will 
prove  his  ruin.  You  can  conceive  then,  sir,  how  terrible 
was  the  struggle  between  Strap  and  his  genius  ;  which 
was  to  knock  men  down.  His  bosom  heaved,  and  his 
eyes  they  rolled.  His  cabin  shook  in  the  agony  of  the  • 
conflict,  as  Strap  or  his  genius  got  the  upper  hand.  ^^  Ah," 
thundered  his  genius,  ^^who  would  not  prefer  greatness  in, 
misery  to  happiness  in  littleness  ?  Who  will  say  that  the 
little  tomtit  that  catches  flies  under  the  leaves  of  the 
honeysuckle,  is  not  happier  than  the  proud  eagle  that 
bathes  his  wings  in  lightning  and  converses  with  the  thun- 
der ?  And  yet,  what  eagle  would  exchange  with  the  poor 
tomtit  ?  Who  so  poor  of  spirit  ?  The  wretchedness  that 
greatness  brings  is  its  badge  of  honor  and  the  glorious 
plume  of  superiority,  in  which  the  great  spirit  should 
rejoice.  Wear  thy  plumes  and  be  proud  of  them  !  Do 
the  polar  storms  that  beat  upon  the  icebergs  melt  them  ? 
No  !  They  enlarge  them ;  they  strengthen  them  ;  and 
by  them  they  are  more  appallingly  beautiful  under  the 
dancing  aurora.  The  great  iceberg  decays  under  the 
stupid  airs  of  the  tropics,  that  bear  butterflies  and  bugs. 
Shame  upon  your  coward  thought ! " 

Strap's  countenance  grew  strangely  flushed,  and  a  dark 
light  gleamed  in  his  impatient  eyes.  It  was  his  genius 
startled  and  indignant.  He  arose  with  a  proud  air,  ad- 
miringly gazed  upon  his  enormous  fists,  and  groaned 
deeply  for  the  presence  of  some  one  whom  he  might 
knock  down.  A  sweet  gentleness  stole  into  and  beamed 
from  his  eyes  as  he  placed  himself  in  the  attitude  of  one 
who  would  strike.     His  genius  possessed  him. 

And  now  his  better  spirit  spoke  in  a  soft  voice  :  "  Ah, 
Strap,  hast  thou  not  glory  enough  ?    Is  not  thy  brow  al- 


56       TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   I]Sr   TEXAS   O:^  HOKSEBACK. 

ready  rich  with  laurels  ?  Hast  thou  not  knocked  down 
many  times  nearly  every  man  in  Texas — even  the  great 
Austin  and  the  mighty  king,  Tuleahcahoma  ?  Shall  the 
great  man  never  see  rest  ?  It  is  the  voice  of  the  betrayer 
that  would  lure  you  away  from  the  repose  you  have  nobly 
won.  Under  thine  own  vine  and  fig  tree  live  with  gentle 
Peace,  and  she  shall  bathe  thy  brow  with  kisses.  Men 
shall  honor  thee  as  they  pass,  and  maidens  shall  wreathe 
garlands  and  sing  songs  for  thee.  Heed  not  the  voice  of 
vthe  betrayer.  Thou  hast  glory  enough.  Seek  gentle 
Peace,  who  shall  encircle  her  pleasant  arms  about  thee 
and  bathe  thy  brow  with  kisses." 

Strap  fell  back  on  his  back  and  said  imploringly : 
''  Come,  gentle  Peace  ;  encircle  thy  pleasant  arms  about 
me  and  bathe  my  brow  with  kisses.  My  laurels  are  suffi- 
cient, and  the  great  man  shall  have  repose.  AVith  thee, 
gentle  Peace,  will  I  live  and  love  ! "  He  rose  and  walked 
across  his  room,  his  face  beaming  with  a  gentleness  and 
meekness  and  benign ness  which  were  extremely  beautiful  to 
behold  ;  like  the  countenance  of  the  Angel  of  Light  beam- 
ing forth  from  behind  the  retreating  clouds.  Said  he  :  '^  I 
have  fought  the  great  fight,  and  the  victory  is  won  !  Fu- 
ture ages  will  applaud  Strap  Buckner  for  the  greatness  that 
he  forbore  to  pluck,  even  more  than  for  that  which  he 
plucked.  I  retire  from  arms  in  the  midst  of  glorious  tri- 
umph. Come,  gentle  Peace  ;  encircle  me  in  thy  pleasant 
arms,  and  bathe  my  brow  in  kisses  !  Ah  ! "  And  he  again 
fell  back  upon  his  back,  and  made  a  motion  as  if  he  were 
hugging  and  hugged.  It  is  said  that  his  eyes  looked 
liquorish. 

What  a  pity  it  is  that  there  is  a  devil  that  always  fol- 
lows the  tracks  of  the  Angel  of  Light,  and  sows  thorns  and 
snakes  where  that  one  has  sown  blessings  ! 

He  felt  a  thirst,  and  he  reached  forth  his  hand  for  his 
jug,  but  he  found  it  empty.     ^^Ah  !"  said  he,  ^^this  will 


TWO   THOUSAND    MILES   IK   TEXAS   ON   HOESEBACK.      57 

not  do.  I  must  pour  a  libation  to  gentle  Peace."  He  called 
his  swift  grey  nag,  the  gift  of  the  mighty  King  Tuleahca- 
homa,  and  holding  his  jug  in  one  hand  and  the  rein  in  the 
other,  hied  away;  his  long  red  hair  streaming  like  a  meteor 
behind  him.  When  he  rose  the  east  bank  of  the  Colorado, 
as  fate  would  have  it,  he  saw  twenty-two  Indian  braves, 
who  having  exchanged  their  skins  for  whiskey  and  trinkets, 
were  having  a  gay  dance  under  the  boughs  of  an  oak.  In 
their  elastic  motions  their  fat  bellies  and  broad  breasts  were 
exposed,  and  glittered  in  the  sun  ;  the  sight  of  which  caused 
a  light  to  beam  on  Strap's  countenance,  as  if  all  the  kind- 
ness in  the  world  had  suddenly  taken  possession  of  his 
heart.  He  smiled  a  sweet  smile,  like  an  ardent  lover  con- 
templating his  darling,  or  the  old  grey  goose  smiling  on  the 
gander.  He  dismounted,  and  stepping  lightly  into  the 
circle  of  braves,  knocked  them  all  down.  He  then  turned 
to  each  one  and  bowed  with  exquisite  grace,  and  the  gentle- 
ness on  his  countenance  was  sweet.  You  see  how  treach- 
erous genius  is,  and  how  feeble  are  the  best  efforts  to  with- 
stand it.  He  that  hath  a  genius  must  needs  let  it  work. 
Lightly  he  stepped  into  the  trading-house,  smiling  as  the 
dawn,  carrying  his  clenched  fists  before  him.  He  met  Bob 
Turket  at  the  door,  and  instantly  knocked  him  down.  His 
eyes  sparkled,  his  genius  was  aglow.  Bill  Smotherall,  be- 
holding the  light  of  his  countenance,  essayed  to  escape,  but 
a  powerful  blow  overtook  him  between  the  shoulders  and 
felled  him  face  downward  to  the  floor.  A  clock,  in  the 
form  of  a  fat  knight  with  walling  and. portly  belly,  ticked 
on  the  counter.  His  genius  was  in  eruption.  He  let  fly 
at  the  portly  knight,  and  the  clock  flew  into  a  hundred 
pieces.  He  jumped  upon  the  counter  and  flapped  his  el- 
bows against  his  flanks,  and  crowed  a  crow  which  rang 
among  the  hills  and  forests  of  the  Colorado.  His  genius 
for  the  first  time  had  overcome  and  pushed  aside  his  kind- 
ness of  heart ;  for  never  before,  in  all  his  achievements, 
3* 


58      TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON    HORSEBACK. 

had  he  uttered  note  of  triumph.     I  fear  me  it  was  a  mark 
of  the  decadence  of  his  noble  spirit. 

HE   COMETH  ! 

But  all  of  this  perhaps  had  not  been  so  bad  had  he  not 
now  resorted  to  that  treacherous  fluid  which  men  put  into 
their  mouths  to  steal  away  their  brains.  Perchance  in  his 
next  moments  of  seclusion  and  meditation  his  better  spirit 
would  have  revisited  him,  and  with  the  tender  voice  of  re- 
proval  and  monition  led  him  by  the  right  way.  But  the 
sad,  one  false  step  !  It  seemed  Fate  had  ordained  it  other- 
wise. Calling  for  his  jug,  he  ordered  it  filled  with  the 
fatal  fluid,  and  seizing  a  quart  measure,  he  drank  at  one 
draught  all  it  would  hold.  Instantly,  as  might  be  sup- 
posed, his  genius  broke  all  bounds  ;  it  raged.  Filling  the 
quart  measure  with  water,  he  made  with  its  contents  a 
wet  ring  on  the  floor,  in  the  centre  of  which  he  leaped 
like  a  savage  beast.  He  smote  the  air  with  his  fists  and 
exclaimed  in  a  loud  voice  :  ^^  Behold  in  me,  Bob  Turket, 
Bill  Smotherall,  and  ye  red  men  of  the  forest  and  prairie 
— behold  in  me  the  champion  of  the  world  !  I  defy  all 
that  live.  I  wager  my  swift  grey  nag,  the  gift  of  the 
mighty  King  Tuleahcahoma.  Who  will  take  the  wager  ? 
Yea,  I  defy  the  veritable  old  Devil  himself — him  of  the 
cloven  hoof  and  tawny  hide.  Black  imp  of  hell,  thou 
Satanas,  I  defy  thee  ! " 

Scarcely  had  he  uttered  these  words  when  a  singular 
murmuring  sound  issued  from  the  forests  of  the  Colorado, 
which,  growing  louder  and  louder,  at  last  seemed  to  quiver 
under  the  whole  heavens.  Bob  Turket  and  Bill  Smoth- 
erall looked  at  one  another,  speechless  and  pale.  The 
braves  gathered  about  the  door  stricken  w^itli  terror, 
gazing  with  startling  eyeballs  now  into  the  forests  of  the 
Colorado,  now  at  Bob  Turket  and  Bill  Smotherall,  and 
now  upon  the  champion  of  the  world.     Said  the  great 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IK   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.    59 

Medicine  Man,  sounding  his  big  bongbooree  :  '^  It  is — it 
is — it  is  he  !  The  Great  Father  of  the  Red  Son  of  Bine 
Thunder  has  descended  from  the  clouds.  He  cometh  to 
aid  his  great  son,  Kokulblothetopoff,  who  raiseth  his 
mighty  fists  to  the  skies,  and  bringeth  them  down 
again.  Eed  sons  of  the  forest  and  prairie,  the  Wahconda 
calls  ye  away  ! "  The  great  Medicine  Man  hung  his  big 
bongbooree  over  his  back,  and  sped  away  like  a  turkey 
that  is  afraid.  He  leaped  rocks  and  fallen  logs  in  his 
flight.  Twenty-one  Indian  braves,  all  in  a  row,  sped  be- 
hind him  like  twenty-one  turkeys  that  are  afraid.  And 
they  leaped  rocks  and  fallen  logs  as  they  fled.  Evaserttnt 
or  re,  ahierunt  or  re! 

Outspake  Bob  Turket :  '^Mighty  champion  of  the 
world,  norate  to  us  what  is  that ! " 

The  champion  of  the  world,  still  occupying  the  center 
of  the  ring,  responded  :  "  It  is  not  the  Great  Father  of  the 
Red  Son  of  Blue  Thunder  ;  it  is  not  the  Wahconda  calling 
the  red  sons  of  the  forest  and  prairie  to  hie  hence.  I  know 
that  familiar  voice  :  it  is  Noche — it  is  dread  Noche  !  He 
sent  me  a  challenge  through  the  air,  and  behold,  he  comes  ! 
I  conquered  him  once  before,  and  I  will  conquer  him 
again.  Black,  dread  Noche,  I  defy  thee  !  I  fling  thy 
challenge  back  upon  thy  grizzly  frontlet ! " 

The  singular  murmuring  sound  again  issued  from  the 
deep  forests  of  the  Colorado,  growing  louder  and  louder, 
till  the- everlasting  hills  trembled  with  the  reyerberation, 
and  the  great  oaks  bowed  their  heads.  It  articulated  dis- 
tinctly, according  to  the  true  report  of  Bob  Turket  :  '^^Ah, 
Strap, — ah,  Strap  !  Remember,  Strap,  remember  !  " 

Bob  Turket  and  Bill  Smotherall  fell  upon  their  faces, 
exclaiming :  ^'  Mighty  champion  of  the  world,  depart 
hence  !     And  thy  memorialists  will  evei*  pray  ! " 

The  champion  seized  his  jug  by  the  handle,  and  pour- 
ing out  a  quart  measure  of  the  treacherous  liquid,  imbibed 


60        TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IJq-   TEXAS   0:N^   HORSEBACK. 

it  at  a  single  draught.  He  then  mounted  his  swift  grey 
nag  and  sped  away  with  the  fury  of  a  whirlwind.  Bob 
Turket  and  Bill  Smotherall  watched  him  as  he  passed  out 
of  view,  and  then  listened  to  the  rapid  clatter  of  hoofs  till 
they  died  away  in  the  distance,  but  durst  not  venture  out 
of  their  doors.  They  relate,  in  their  true  report,  that  as 
the  champion  rode  aw^ay,  a  strange  creature,  in  the  dread 
form  of  a  red  monkey,  leaped  up  behind  him  and  rode 
away  w4th  him.  They  relate  furtlier,  that  this  strange 
creature  turned  full  upon  them,  and  placing  his  thumb 
upon  his  nose,  made  at  them  the  sign  of  derision.  Be  all 
this  as  it  may,  when  Strap  reached  his  cabin  and  stripped 
his  nag,  he  observed  upon  his  haunches  abundant  scratches 
and  blood,  as  if  they  had  been  stricken  with  tlie  claws  of  a 
wild  beast.     He  entered  his  cabin. 

La  Noche  Triste. 

Night  was  rapidly  falHng,  and  rolling  clouds  involved 
the  heavens  in  pitchy  blackness.  Sulphurous  vapors 
scudded  below  the  clouds,  whose  black  bosoms  were  riven 
with  bolts  of  lightning,  and  fearful  thunder  resounded 
through  the  deserted  vale.  A  storm  of  wind  and  rain 
burst  upon  the  cabin  with  terrible  fury,  and  the  champion 
was  compelled  to  bar  his  door  to  stay  the  invasion.  Then 
in  the  midst  of  the  wild  tumult  of  the  elements,  he  pro- 
ceeded to  cook  his  supper  of  hoe-cake  and  fried  bacon. 
The  bacon  sizzled  deliciously,  and  the  hoe-cake  grew  to  a 
rich  brown.  When  all  was  ready,  he  spread  his  table,  and 
was  invoking  an  earnest  blessing  on  him  who  invented 
fried  bacon  and  hoe-cake,  when  suddenly  an  impetuous 
blast  of  the  tempest  blew  open  one  of  his  windows  with 
violence.  Strap  raised  his  eyes  and  saW  two  fiery  balls, 
about  four  inches*  apart,  staring  at  him  through  the  open 
window.  They  w^ere  motionless,  but  stared  with  an  intense 
and   sinister  expression,  as  if   they  meant  mischief,  and 


TWO   THOUSAND    MILES   i:t^   TEXAS   ON"   HORSEBACK.      61 

never  doubted  their  power  to  inflict  it.  ''  Ah,"  said  Strap, 
''  Ocelot — wildcat — hast  thou  come  to  interview  me  ?  or 
wouldst  thou  forget  thy  sorrows  in  a  sip  from  my  jolly 
jug  ?  or  wouldst  thou  take  a  little  fried  bacon  and  hoe- 
cake  ?  or  is  the  tempest  too  much  for  thy  glossy  skin, 
and  thou  comest  to  implore  refuge  with  me  under  my 
roof  ?  Truly,  I  might  accord  thee  all  of  these  and  feel 
myself  blessed  to  do  it,  but  thy  glaring,  infernal  eyes 
betray  thee,  and  say  that  thou  wouldst  return  villainy 
for  these  mercies.  Take  thee  to  my  warm  couch  and 
sleep  with  thee — to  find  my  throat  cut  in  the  morning,  and 
the  warm  blood  sucked  from  my  veins  ?  Ocelot,  seek  the 
hospitality  of  fools  ?  Speed  thee  away  !  What !  Starest 
still  ?  and  redoublest  the  fury  in  thine  eyes  ?  Wouldst 
fight  ?    Then  take  this  ! " 

He  plucked  a  stone  from  his  hearth  and  threw  it  with 
all  his  might  at  the  glaring  balls,  but  it  missed  its  mark 
and  they  did  not  move. 

"Ah,  thou  art  brave,"  said  he,  "and  my  hand  is  un- 
steady. Wouldst  beard  me  in  my  den  ?  Then  let  me  try 
thee  with  my  pestle  ! "  With  that  he  seized  his  iron  mace 
and  strode  with  it  uplifted  to  the  window.  He  drew  back 
to  plant  the  blow  of  a  giant  between  the  glaring  balls.  The 
blow  fell,  but  it  struck  only  against  the  window-sill,  with 
such  force  that  it  sank  half  through  the  heart  of  oak. 
The  balls  evaded  it  and  disappeared  in  the  outer  darkness. 
Strap  then  barred  the  window  more  firmly  than  before, 
and  sat  down  to  sup. 

He  was  chewing  a  lengthy  piece  of  bacon,  whose  ends 
protruded  from  each  corner  of  his  mouth,  when  a  blinding 
flash  of  lightning  fell,  accompanied  with  a  burst  of  thunder 
so  close  and  violent  that  it  seemed  the  ancient  hills  were 
riven  from  their  foundations  and  were  tottering  to  their 
fall.  For  a  moment  Strap  felt  himself  stunned  with  the 
flame  and  concussion.     "Bless  me,"  said  he,   "now  has 


62      TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IX   TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK. 

the  Father  given  us  enough  of  lightning  and  dire  thun- 
der !     But  what,  ye  gods,  is  this  ?  ^' 

He  beheld,  dancing  on  the  floor  before  him,  a  remark- 
able black  figure,  with  insolent  eyes  of  fiery  redness.  It 
was  in  the  shape  of  a  man,  but  was  not  three  feet  high, 
had  two  red  horns  on  its  head,  and  its  feet,  which  were 
large,  were  cloven  like  the  hoofs  of  a  bull.  Its  nose  was 
prominent  and  hooked  like  the  beak  of  an  eagle,  and  its 
face  was  gaunt  and  thin.  Though  so  small  of  stature,  its 
visage  was  hard  and  wrinkled,  and  showed  age  and  infinite 
villainy.  As  it  danced  before  him,  it  placed  the  thumb  of 
the  right  hand  against  its  nose  and  made  at  Strap  the  in- 
sulting sign  of  derision  ;  but  it  spake  not. 

Strap  was  amazed,  but  he  was  not  overcome.  He  let 
the  long  piece  of  bacon  drop  from  his  mouth.  .  ^^Is  this  a 
creation  of  the  heat-oppressed  brain  ?"  said  he  ;  *^a  pen- 
cilling on  my  mind  of  the  jolly  artist  who  dwells  in  yon 
jug  ?  Whilst  thou  dancest,  let  me  ponder.  I  wake,  I 
know  ;  I  have  my  faculties,  I  know.  May  the  mind  under 
control  such  fantastic  forms  create  ?^'  His  soliloquy  was 
cut  short  by  the  singular  object  ceasing  to  dance,  and  step- 
ping by  Strap's  side,  taking  a  seat  unbid  in  a  chair  upon 
the  hearth.  As  it  did  so,  its  stature  commenced  growing, 
and  did  not  stop  till  it  had  grown  to  twice  its  original  pro- 
portions. It  drew  from  between  its  legs  a  long  tail,  with 
a  hard  pronged  point,  which  Strap  had  not  observed  before, 
and  twirled  it  over  so  that  the  point  fell  on  Strap's  knee. 
This  disgusted  Strap.  He  hastily  pushed  his  chair  away  to 
the  opposite  corner  of  the  hearth,  and  observed  :  ^'Keep 
thy  prolongation  to  thyself,  strange  visitor  ! '' 

"  Skin  for  skin,*'  said  the  figure,  resting  his  elbow  on 
his  knee  and  his  chin  between  his  thumb  and  index  finger 
of  the  right  hand,  and  regarding  Strap  with  keen  interest. 
At  the  same  time  he  twirled  his  tail  over  again  with 
such  force  and  accurate  aim  that  the  sharp   point  of  it 


TWO   THOUSAKD   MILES   I:N^   TEXAS   OlS^   HOSSEBACK.      63 

struck  deeply  into  the  mantel-piece,  and  there  it  hnng 
fixed. 

^^ What  might  thy  name  be  ?"  said  Strap,  "who  visit- 
est  me  at  this  unseemly  hour  ?  Speak  !  thy  name  and  thy 
business  !  " 

"  Skin  for  skin/'  said  the  object. 

"  Skin  for  skin  !  Hast  thou  no  other  name  on  the 
night's  Plutonian  shore  ?  " 

"Sir,"  said  the  object,  rising  from  the  chair  and  ex- 
tracting his  tail  from  the  mantel-piece,  advancing  a  step 
toward  Strap,  "men  call  me  by  many  names.  Thou  hast 
called  me  black  imp  of  hell,  thou  Satanas  !  So  be  it.  Skin 
for  skin  !  Thou  hast  challenged  me  to  duel,  and  hast  wa- 
gered upon  the  result  thy  swift  grey  nag,  the  gift  of  the 
mighty  King,  Tuleahcahoma.  Thrice  hast  thou  challenged, 
and  thrice  have  I  accepted.  I  come  to  meet  thee  now,  or  to 
fling  thy  challenge  into  thy  teeth  ;  to  pull  thy  ruddy  beard." 

He  seized  his  tail  in  his  right  hand,  and  held  it  like  a 
javelin  about  to  be  thrust.  Strap  gazed  upon  this  singular 
instrument,  and  meditatively  spake  :  "  Good  Sir  Devil, 
take  a  seat.  Wouldst  thou  attack  a  gentleman  in  his  cups  ? 
None  but  a  thief  and  coward  would  do  that.  Put  thy 
prolongation  away,  I  prithee.  Leave  me  to  my  sleep  and 
restoration,  and  I  will  meet  thee  man  to  man.  To-morrow 
morning  at  nine  o'clock  will  I  meet  thee." 

The  Devil  advanced  again,  saying  :  "  Give  us  thy  hand. 
Strap  Buckner  ;  skin  for  skin  :  to-morrow  morn  at  nine 
o'clock,  under  yon  oaks  that  overlook  thy  dwelling  from 
the  south."  They  clasped  hands  and  shook  them  heartily. 
"Now,"  said  he,  "will  I  leave  thee  to  sleep  and  restora- 
tion. Truly,  he  hath  neither  courage  nor  honor  who 
would  attack  a  gentleman  in  his  cups." 

Strap  then  sang  : 

"  Then  wilt  thou  be  gone,  love  ; 
Wilt  thou  be  gone,  love- 
Be  gone,  love,  from  me  ?  ** 


64    TWO  thousa:n"d  miles  in^  texas  on  horseback. 


And  the  Devil  sang 


'  Nita— 
Juanita ! ' 


The  Devil  then  stepped  toward  the  door.  Strap  moved 
forward  to  unbar  it  and  let  him  out,  but  the  Devil  made  a 
bound  for  the  keyhole,  and  passed  through,  tail  and  all,  in 
the  twinkling  of  an  eye.  As  he  did  so  he  filled  the  room 
with  a  strong  odor  of  brimstone,  insomucli  that  the  cham- 
pion was  compelled  to  hold  his  nose.  ''  No  wonder,"  said 
he,  '^  since  he  was  squeezed  so  tight.  Pull  me  through  a 
keyhole,  and  I  dare  say  I  would  not  leave  a  less  odorous  re- 
port." He  then  for  a  moment,  threw  open  the  window  to 
the  tempest,  and  burned  a  few  cotton  rags  to  deodorize 
the  room;  which,  having  done,  he  sat  quietly  by  his  table 
and  ate  a  hearty  repast  of  hoe-cake  and  bacon. 

You  would  think  that  placed  in  such  remarkable  cir- 
cumstances— the  most  remarkable  that  man  was  ever  placed 
in — he  would  have  given  loose  rein  to  his  fancy,  and  in- 
dulged in  gloomy  soliloquies.  But  he  did  not.  He  knew 
that  these  things  consume  the  oxygen  and  wear  away  the 
tissues  of  the  flesh,  producing  languor  and  prostration. 
Said  he  :  ^^  I  have  nothing  to  do  but  husband  my  strength 
and  meet  the  inevitable."  After  supping  he  walked  his 
cabin  an  hour  to  promote  digestion,  tod  by  exercise  to 
force  out  through  the  pores  of  the  skin  the  treacherous 
fluid  which  he  had  drunken  at  the  trading-house.  He 
then  sank  upon  his  couch  and  slept  as  soundly  as  an  infant. 
I  know  not  how  true  it  is,  but  it  is  said  that  smiles  played 
around  his  lips  all  night.  The  more  I  think  of  him,  the 
more  am  I  carried  away  in  admiration  of  his  sublime  char- 
acter. Truly,  the  world  has  seen  few  such  extraordinary 
men.  Had  he  lived  in  antiquity  he  would  have  been  a  god, 
and  temples  would  have  been  erected  in  his  honor.  I 
know  not  which  is  the  more  unfortunate,  he  that  comes 
too  soon,  or  he  that  comes  too  late  into  the  world.     Suffice 


TWO   THOUSAKD   MILES   IK  TEXAS  01^   HORSEBACK.      65 

it  that  either  must  pass  through  the  world  misunderstood 
and  misrepresented — alone,  and  quite  friendless.  He  who 
lives  in  advance  of  his  time  has  few  companions.  Fortune 
grant  that  such  be  not  my  fate  !  Laurels  that  come  after 
one  is  under  the  sod  and  flourish  over  his  grave,  are  well 
enough,  but  give  me  a  few  while  I  live  ;  and  those  that 
m^y  not  come  at  all  are  intolerable. 

The  Day  of  Events. 

Day  had  dawned,  but  its  light  struggled  almost  in  vain 
with  the  storm  which  still  held  carnival  in  the  valley. 
Strap  rose  refreshed  and  vigorous,  and  the  blood  ran  rosily 
and  merrily  through  his  manly  form.  The  light  of  battle 
illumined  his  countenance.  Rather  would  I  have  taken 
him  for  some  conquering  knight  of  old,  who  after  resting 
from  his  great  exploits,  was  about  to  receive  the  smiles  and 
kisses  of  his  ladye-love,  than  one  who  puts  on  his  armor 
for  combat  the  most  dreadful  that  mortal  ever  engaged  in. 
First,  he  took  a  shower-bath  in  the  slanting  storm  of  rain, 
whose  myriads  of  big  drops  fell  upon  him  like  rattling 
musketry.  During  ten  minutes  he  turned  his  broad,  naked 
back  to  it,  till  the  skin  glittered  like  rosy  velvet  under  the 
pelting  ;  ten  minutes  he  received  it  on  his  manly  front, 
standing  like  a  statite  with  both  arms  extended  ;  the  light- 
ning flashing,  and  me  bolts  of  thunder  bursting  around 
him  ;  then  he  turned  his  right  flank,  then  his  left.  Forty 
minutes  were  thus  passed  in  the  shower-bath  furnished  by 
the  warring  elements,  charged  with  ammonia  and  subtle 
electricity  ;  after  which  forty  more  were  passed  in  rubbing 
the  glowing  flesh,  in  his  cabin,  with  matting  woven  from 
the  shaggy  mosses  of  the  forest.  Which  having  done,  he 
stood  in  the  centre  of  the  room,  the  most  glorious  picture 
of  perfect  manhood  ever  seen  in  the  world.  As  he  surveyed 
himself,  his  bosom  swelled  with  exultation.  Said  he  :  ^^Is 
not  this  a  picture  for  the  Queen  of  the  Amazons  to  look 


66      TWO   THOUSAND   MILES    IN   TEXAS    Oi^    HORSEBACK. 

upon  ?  Would  not  the  magnificent  Aphrodite  give  half 
her  immortality  to  encircle  this  manly  form  one  moment 
with  her  glowing  locks  ? "  Ah  me,  it  distresses  me  to 
think  that  such  noble  manhood  should  pass  from  the  earth 
without  increase  !  Ah,  Strap,  it  was  thy  greatest  fault  to 
have  denied  to  the  world  and  love  what  was  their  due  ! 

He  breakfasted  on  the  remnants  of  the  hoe-cake  and 
bacon  left  from  the  night's  repast,  first  warming  them  in 
a  pan.  The  merry  jug  stood  near,  inviting  him  to  taste 
its  amber  fluid,  but  he  turned  away  from  it  with  a  look  of 
reproach.  '^I  will  embrace  thee  when  I  return,"  said  he, 
^^if  so  be  it  fortune  favor.  Thou  art  good  for  him  who 
putteth  off  his  armor,  but  ill  luck  to  him  who  girdeth  it 
on."  Donning  his  garment  of  buckskin,  he  said  :  '^  The 
hour  arrives  ! " 

Taking  his  iron  limb  in  liis  right  hand,  the  only  aid 
he  asked  from  art,  this  matchless  hero  stepped  out  into 
the  storm,  and  made  fast  the  door  behind  him.  The 
tempest  smote  upon  his  noble  brow ;  the  clouds  saluted 
him  with  a  salvo  of  thunder,  and  the  lightning  garlanded 
his  locks.  He  called  his  swift  nag,  the  gift  of  the  great 
Tuleahcahoma,  who  came,  and  he  fixed  his  saddle  upon 
him,  whereupon  he  mounted  and  rode  away  to  war. 

He  had  advanced  but  a  few  pacesj^when  the  Infernal 
Fiend,  in  the  form  of  a  skinny,  ugly  dwarf,  appeared  before 
him,  dancing  a  jig,  but  he  did  not  make  the  insulting 
sign  of  derision.  He  bowed  politely  and  said  :  ''  Hail  to 
thee.  Strap  Buckner  !  I  see  that  thou  art  as  good  as  thy 
word,  and  a  man  of  honor.  Receive  my  obeisance  to  a 
man  of  courage  !     I  will  lead  and  thou  wilt  follow." 

"I  dare  follow  where  the  Foul  Fiend  leadeth,"  said 
Strap.  And  both  moved  onward  through  the  storm,  the 
Fiend  in  advance.  A  white  flame  of  lightning  illuminated 
the  valley,  and  when  Strap  looked  again  the  Fiend  had  dis- 
appeared, but  in  place  of  him  a  long,  black  cat  hopped 


TWO   THOUSAND    MILES   12^"   TEXAS    0]^   HORSEBACK.     67 

along  by  his  side,  and  looked  into  his  face  and  mewed. 
"  Ah,  Ocelot,"  said  he,  ^^  dost  thou  encounter  the  tempest 
yet  ?  Better  betake  thee  to  thy  hollow  tree,  lest  thy  furs 
be  rubbed  the  wrong  way."  Again  the  blinding  light- 
ning came,  and  the  thunder  rent  the  air  and  reverberated 
.  through  the  vale.  When  Strap  looked  again  the  mewing 
cat  had  disappeared,  but  in  place  of  it  a  spry  Skye  terrier 
tripped  along  by  his  side,  and  looked  into  his  face  with  a 
frisky,  silly  look.  ^^  Ah,"  said  Strap,  ''  Skye  terrier,  dost 
thou  like  the  tempest  ?  Better  haste  thee  to  the  trading 
house  and  catch  rats  under  the  smeltering  skins,  lest  the 
tempest  pick  thee  up  and  blow  thee  away."  Agahi  the 
thunder  detonated  and  the  lightning  lit  the  vale.  Strap 
looked  and  the  Skye  terrier  had  gone,  but  a  huge  black 
bear  was  walking  by  his  side,  turning  to  look  at  him  with 
a  grin.  "Ah,"  said  Strap,  "  this  is  the  history  and  the 
panorama  of  nature  ;  the  lesser  forms  and  the  lower  de- 
velop into  the  bigger  forms  and  the  higher.  Shall  T  see, 
then,  in  a  few  minutes  what  it  has  taken  Old  Time  myriads 
of  ages  to  evolve  ?  What  philosopher  has  ever  beeit  so 
blest  ?  Dost  thou  like  the  flood.  Bruin  ?  Better  betake 
thee  to  thy  cave  in  the  rocks  and  eat  acorns.  Who  knows 
but  thy  spouse  may  play  thee  false  whilst  thou  art  absent 
in  the  tempest — she  believing  or  professing  thee  lost  and 
dead  ?" 

Again  the  blinding  lightning  came,  and  the  thunder 
shook  the  vale.  When  Strap  looked  again  the  bear  had 
gone,  but  an  enormous  bull,  black  as  night,  strode  before 
him,  his  tail  tossed  over  his  back,  and  the  valley  trembled 
as  he  strode.  "Ah,"  said  Strap,  "this  is  Xoohe,  I  per- 
ceive; my  old  friend  Noche,  who  knows  that  I  am  his 
innocent  friend.  How  is  thy  frontlet,  Noche  ?  Hast 
thou  had  the  screw-worms  picked  out  of  thy  wounds,  and 
has  thy  nose  ceased  bleeding  ?  Better  betake  thee  to  a 
pretty,  protected  nook,  and  eat  cowslips  and  make  calves 


68      TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IX   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK. 

for  an  honest  milk-maid.  Pretty  work  for  thee,  ISToche  ; 
and  thou  exposest  thyself  to  the  tempest,  and  from  choice  ? 
I  dare  say  the  milk-maid  has  broken  a  joint  of  thy  tail 
that  thou  carriest  it  on  thy  back,  and  thy  females  have 
kicked  thee  out,  an  unprofitable  drone,  to  starve  from  un- 
kindness."  Again  the  blinding  lightning  came  with  such 
sudden  vehemence  that  it  smote  sorely  on  Stray's  eyes, 
and  the  thunder  shook  the  vale  to  the  solid  granite  below. 
^^  Bless  me,"  said  Strap,  ^*' another  such  as  this,  I  fear  me, 
will  burst  the  balls."  When  he  had  recovered  his  sight, 
Noche  had  departed,  but  in  his  stead  the  Fiend  in  stately 
form  marched  before  him — stately,  all  save  his  tail,  which 
he  transported  behind  him,  curved  up  round  like  a  fish- 
hook. He  looked  back,  and  placing  his  index  finger  on 
his  nose,  licked  out  his  tongue  and  laughed.  ^^Ha  !"  said 
Strap,  "  laughest  thou  !-  He  laugheth  best  who  laugheth 
last."  His  heart  swelled  with  the  affront,  and  it  was  with 
great  ado  that  he  could  help  seizing  the  Fiend's  tail  by  the 
apex  of  the  hook  and  crushing  it  off  with  one  blow  of  his 
peaHe. 

They  had  now  reached  the  foot  of  the  upland  that 
looks  into  the  vale.  Silently  they  ascended  to  a  cluster 
of  noble  oaks,  venerable  with  mossy  beard.  The  green 
sward  was  rich  around  them,  and  the  plateau  was  level 
and  smooth.  Rather  seemed  it  a  place  for  fairies  to  dance 
under  the  moonlight  than  for  Fiend  and- hero  to  meet  in 
the  struggle  of  death.  As  they  looked  around,  both 
spake  :  ^^  Now  is  the  hour  and  here  the  place."  Strap 
dismounted  and  turning  his  grey  nag  loose,  with  his  bridle 
slipped  over  his  head,  said  to  him  :  ''  Charge  thyself  with 
grass,  whilst  I  charge  myself  with  the  Devil.  Prosper  my 
work  like  thine  ! "  The  grey  nag  wagged  his  bobtail,  and 
said  :  "I  charge."  Without  the  tremor  of  a  nerve,  with- 
out air  of  fear  or  air  of  boast,  this  matchless  hero  con- 
fronted the  Fiend.     As  he  did  so,  this  latter  meanly  com- 


TWO   THOUSAND    MILES   IN   TEXAS   OK    HORSEBACK.       69 

menced  to  grow^  and  ceased  not  to  grow  till  he  had 
achieved  such  stature  that  his  head  was  an  hundred  and 
ninety  feet  in  the  air,  and  he  was  eighty  feet  in  girth. 
His  tail  grew  in  correspondence,  till,  seizing  it,  he  gave  it 
a  twirl,  and  the  point  strut^k  the  bosom  of  a  black  cloud 
with  such  force  that  it  penetrated  into  it  and  there  stuck. 
As  he  had  a  right  to  do,  Strap  complained  of  this  injus- 
tice. Said  he  :  ^^Foul  Fiend,  thou  art  no  fair  man  to 
ask  me  to  fight  with  thee  on  unequal  terms.  If  thou 
choosest  such  terms, I  brand  thee  villainous  coward." 

The  Fiend  looked  down  from  his  lofty  stature,  and 
with  a  voice  that  confused  all  living  things  within  a  vast 
circumference,  said  :  "  Put  aside  thy  iron  limb,  thy 
mace,  thy  pestle,  and  I  will  accommodate  me  to  thy  size. 
Skin  for  skin  ! "  Strap  tossed  his  pestle  aside,  whereat 
the  Fiend  commenced  shrinking,  and  ceased  not  to  shrink 
till  he  had  shrunken  to  Strap's  size — all  save  his  tail, 
which  still  remained  hitched  in  the  bosom  of  the  cloud. 
He  now  took  position  before  Strap  in  the  attitude  of  a 
boxer,  and  Strap  took  position  before  him  in  the  sarne  at- 
titude. He  kept  his  eye  on  Strap,  and  Strap  kept  his  eye 
on  him,  either  guarding  against  any  advantage  or  cheat  by 
the  other.  The  Fiend  now  drew  back  for  a  pass  at  Strap, 
but  just  at  that  moment  the  black  cloud  in  which  his  tail 
was  hitched  was  rapidly  passing  beyond  its  length,  and  it 
drew  the  Devil  backwards  and  upwards  with  great  force, 
causing  him  exceeding  great  pain  at  the  point  of  its  junc- 
ture with  the  body.  The  air  suddenly  became  impregnated 
with  a  fearful  odor  of  brimstone,  insomuch  that  Strap  was 
obliged  to  burn  a  few  cotton  rags  to  deodorize  it.  Now 
had  he  but  used  the  advantage  which  offered  itself  to  him, 
what  infinite  fame  would  be  his  !  Ah,  me,  it  pains  my 
heart  to  think  of  the  weaknesses  and  fatal  mistakes  that 
good  men  commit  under  a  false  sense  of  honor.  As  the 
cloud  was  dragging  the  Fiend  backward  and  upward,  nearly 


70      TWO   THOUSAND    MILES   IN   TEXAS   0^    HORSEBACK. 

paralyzed  with  pain,  how  easily  Strap  could  have  taken  a 
stone  and  crushed  him  withal,  or  his  pestle  and  spilt  his 
brains  withal  !  Instead  of  this,  under  a  false  sense  of 
honor,  and  in  the  kindness  of  his  heart,  he  profPered  the 
Fiend  assistance  to  unhitch  his  tail  !  Ah,  me  !  I  nearly 
faint  with  despair  while  relating  it.  The  Devil  leaped  up 
in  the  air  and  rolled  himself  up  in  the  coils  of  his  tail  till 
he  had  reached  the  cloud,  and  there,  with  the  help  of  claws 
and  hoofs  and  horns,  succeeded  at  last  in  unhitching  it. 
Immediately,  back  he  sprang,  and  stood  before  Strap  in  the 
attitude  of  a  boxer.  My  heart  sinks  within  me  to  relate 
it.     Honor  with  the  Devil  !     What  wanton  weakness  ! 

I  might  give  thee  now  the  many  rounds  as  they  occur- 
red, had  I  the  heart,  after  Strap's  exhibition  of  his  folly, 
to  do  so.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  the  battle  raged  with  vary- 
ing fortunes  all  day,  till  the  Devil,  having  less  honor  and 
more  wiles,  grew  again  to  monstrous  size,  and  at  last  wore 
Strap  out  on  the  unequal  terms,  till  the  mighty  champion 
sought  quarter,  crest-fallen  and  utterly  overcome.  The 
country  for  a  great  circuit  round  rang  with  the  hideous 
noise  of  battle,  and  Bob  Turket  and  Bill  Smotherall  and 
forty  Indian  braves  stood  on  the  bank  of  the  river  and 
hearkened  to  it,  amazed.  As  night  fell  they  saw  a  great 
grey  horse  riding  through  the  air  down  the  valley,  with  the 
dread  form  of  a  red  monkey  astride  his  back  in  front,  and 
the  form  of  an  overpowered  man  dangling  across  him  be- 
hind. The  horse  and  riders  lit  on  the  top  of  yon  cedar- 
covered  mountain  tiiat  looks  down  upon  Lagrange  from 
the  north,  and  then  all  disappeared  in  the  umbrageous 
forest.  When  morning  came  Bob  Turket  and  Bill  Smoth- 
erall and  a  thousand  Indian  braves  crossed  over  the  river 
and  marched  to  Strap's  house,  which  they  found  as  he  had 
left  it,  deserted  and  closed.  Looking  about,  they  at  last 
came  to  the  spot  where  the  dread  encounter  had  occurred. 
The  earth  h^d  been  torn  away  jbQ  the  bare  rock,  i^nd  oi]  the 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.       71 

rock  were  deep  impressions  of  cloven  hoofs  and  Strap's 
feet.  No  earth  has  ever  accumulated,  and  no  green  grass 
or  tree  has  ever  grown  on  that  accursed  spot  since  ;  but  it 
remains,  and  will  forever  remain,  in  bleak  deformity.  A 
pile  of  gory  hair  and  beard  was  found  near,  which  they 
recognized  as  Strap's.  A  broken  cloven  hoof  they  also 
found,  which  had  a  strange  unearthly  smell,  and  near  it 
was  Strap's  iron  limb.  This  they  religiously  preserved, 
and  bore  it  back  on  poles  in  solemn  silence,  and  deposited 
it  in  his  cabin  through  a  crack.  And  they  all  wept  aloud 
and  shed  salt  tears,  and  the  great  Medicine  Man  sounded 
his  big  bongbooree. 

He  Returns. 

Three  months  passed,  and  one  morn  as  Bob  Turket 
and  Bill  Smotherall  were  counting  their  skins,  they  were 
stricken  with  amazement  to  see  Strap  Buckner  ride  up 
before  them  on  his  swift  grey  nag,  the  gift  of  the  mighty 
King  Tuleahcahoma.  He  dismounted  and  stood  before 
them,  and  they  were  the  more  amazed.  And  he  looked 
distant  and  sad  and  solemn,  as  if  he  were  contemplating 
things  afar  off.  He  spake  to  them  not ;  but  they  fell  on 
their  faces  before  him,  and  said  :  "  Mighty  champion  of 
the  world,  depart  hence!"  He  said  simply:  ^^Skin  for 
skin!" 

''  Mighty  champion  of  the  world,"  replied  they,  '^  take 
all  of  our  skins  and  depart  hence  !  "  He  replied  sipiply  : 
*^Skin  for  skin  ;  "  and  mounting  his  grey  nag,  he  crossed 
over  the  river  and  sadly  and  slowly  rode  away.  Bob  Turket 
and  Bill  Smotherall  watched  him  departing,  and  counted 
no  more  skins  that  day. 

Three  mouths  he  dwelt  in  his  cabin,  and  thrice  weekly 
he  visited  the  trading-house,  where  he  walked  about  like 
one  contemplating  the  dead,  with  a  sad  and  distant  air. 
He  volunteered  to  speak  to  none,  and  the  only  response  to 


?2       TWO   THOUSA^^D    MILES   IN   TEXAS   0^   HORSEBACK. 

every  question  was — ^^  Skin  for  skin."  He  was  a  changed 
man.  He  would  drink  no  whiskey,  and  would  knock  no 
man  down.  Yet  Bob  Turket  and  Bill  Smotherall  and  the 
Indian  braves  shrank  from  him  with  awe  and  dread,  and 
the  great  Medicine  Man,  whenever  he  saw  him,  stopped 
and  sounded  his  big  bongbooree.  Finally,  one  night,  a 
great  blue  flame  rose  far  above  the  valley,  and  cast  a  pale, 
deathly  light  over  the  land.  Bob  Turket  and  Bill  Smoth- 
erall and  ninety  Indian  braves  watched  it  all  night.  On 
the  top  of  the  blue  flame  they  beheld  a  great  grey  nag,  and 
astride  of  him  sat  the  dread  form  of  a  red  monkey,  and 
behind  the  red  monkey  sat  the  form  of  a  gigantic  man 
waving  a  gigantic  iron  pestle,  whereat  the  dread  form  of 
the  red  monkey  seemed  to  cower.  When  morning  arose. 
Bob  Turket  and  Bill  Smotherall  and  eleven  hundred  In- 
dian braves  crossed  over  the  river  and  marched  to  Strap's 
house.  They  found  it  in  ashes  and  cinders.  They  stood 
around  it  in  solemn  silence,  and  with  one  accord  wept 
aloud  and  spilt  salt  tears.  The  great  Medicine  Man 
sounded  his  big  bongbooree. 

Evasit,  aUit!  Since  that  mysterious  and  perhaps 
fatal  night,  he  has  never  been  seen  in  his  proper  person  as 
in  the  olden  time.  ^^  But  still,"  added  my  companion,  ''  to 
quote  from  the  lines  of  our  local  bard,  who  has  emblazoned 
his  history  in  immortal  verse  : 

"  But  still  the  enthusiast  bards  relate, 

In  memory  of  his  gallant  past, 

That  oft  he  is  seen  in  gloom  of  state, 

To  ride  his  steed  on  the  whirlwind  blast. 

"  He  rises  lowering  on  the  view, 

His  red  hair  streaming  from  on  high, 
Clad  in  a  garb  of  sulphurous  blue. 

Which  casts  a  shade  o'er  his  frenzied  eye. 

**  As  he  whirls  like  a  god  on  his  clouded  path, 
And  shakes  his  locks  and  his  iron  limb, 
He  looks  on  none  in  the  might  of  his  wrath, 
And  he  speaks  to  none  though  they  speak  to  him. 


TWO  THOUSAi^D   MILES   IK   TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK.     73 

"  Let  no  one  scorn  the  friendly  tale, 
Or  doubt  unkind  its  shadowed  truth, 
For  still  the  Buckner  boys  bewail 
Their  noble  but  mysterious  youth. 

"  He  stands  a  talisman  whose  spell 

Shall  ne'er  forget  its  generous  sway  ; 
And  with  his  folk  his  name  shall  dwell— 
A  name  not  made  to  pass  away." 

"Yes,  sir/'  continued  he,  "often  at  night,  when  the 
tempest  howls  and  the  thunders  roar,  his  form,  or  shadow, 
or  image,  or  whatever  it  be,  is  seen  to  stride  this  valley  in 
which  we  ride,  on  his  swift  bob-tail  nag,  the  gift  of  the 
mighty  King  Taleahcahoma.  I  myself  saw  him  distinctly, 
in  our  last  great  equinoctial  storm,  shoot  down  the  valley 
with  a  sulphurous  whirl  and  glare,  and  light  on  yonder 
cedar-covered  mountain,  whence  he  disappeared  in  the 
umbrageous  forest.  When  a  Buckner  Creek  baby  cries, 
whether  from  pure  perverseness  or  colic  pains  in  the  bowels, 
only  say  to  him  '  Strap  Buckner '  once,  and  he  will  forth- 
with scrooch  up  in  his  cradle,  and  you  will  hear  no  more 
from  that  baby  for  hours.  Behold  in  him  the  tutelar  divin- 
ity to  whom  all  the  cow-boys  lift  up  their  emulation  and 
prayers." 

"  I  perceive,  sir,"  said  I,  "  that  thou  art  a  true  poet, 
and  I  thank  thee." 

"  And  I  perceive,  sir,"  said  he,  "that  thou  art  a  true 
epilogue,  and  I  thank  thee.  This  is  the  road  which  bids 
me  depart  from  thee.  Should  I  meet  thee  again  under 
favorable  circumstances,  and  thine  ear  still  thirsteth  for 
knowledge,  I  will  impart  thee  more.     And  now  farewell." 

He  turned  his  horse  and  departed  away  from  me,  as 

other  friends  have  done  before. 
4 


VIL 

Skake  Prairie. 

EMEKGING  from  the  legendary  vale,  I  rode  upon  a 
prairie  whose  name  is  Snake.  It  is  an  immense 
table,  rising  above  all  the  region  round  ;  treeless,  except 
an  occasional  mot  of  oak,  and  level,  save  that  here  and 
there  is  a  slight  depression,  marked  by  a  black  sticky  soil, 
and  covered  with  dark  tussocks  of  coarse,  wiry  grass. 
Elsewhere  the  soil  is  thin,  often  exposing  the  rough  back- 
bone of  the  rock.  The  fertilizing  ingredients,  as  fast  as 
they  collect,  are  driven  into  the  depressions,  or  beaten  off 
into  the  subjacent  lowlands  by  wind  and  rain,  thus  devot- 
ing it  to  hopeless  sterility.  As  I  ride  over  it  a  sense  of 
loneliness  depresses  me.  My  eyes  wander  in  vain  to  dis- 
cover some  sign  of  human  habitation.  No  herds  feed  on 
its  stubby  grass ;  no  bird  warbles  in  the  air ;  no  grass- 
hopper ;  not  even  a  lizard  on  the  rock.  The  wind  which 
here  blows  perpetually,  passes  over  it  in  silence,  as  if  with 
averted  face. 

No  snake  would  live  here  unless  a  stark  fool,  who  pre- 
ferred misery  to  h-appiness,  and  I  cannot  conceive  why 
the  name  was  given  to  this  abandoned  prairie,  unless  out 
of  man's  despite  toward  the  crawling  creature  who 
"brought  death  into  the  world  and  all  our  woe."  Of  all 
creatures  that  fly  or  swim  or  crawl  or  walk,  the  snake  is 
the  most  hideous  in  man's  sight.  We  cannot  see  him  or 
think  of  him  without  feelings  of  total  depravity,  and  our 
only  instinct  is  to  seize  a  stone  and  crush  his  head,  or  turn 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.      75 

heel  and  fly  from  his  detested  presence.  It  makes  no  dif- 
ference how  prettily  marked  or  how  innocuous  he  may  be, 
we  see  in  his  beauty  and  ugliness  alike,  nothing  but  dis- 
gust and  infernal  stratagems  and  spoils.  His  thoughts 
toward  us  are  likewise  total  depravity.  No  sooner  does 
he  see  us  than  he  commences  to  lick  out  his  tongue,  and 
to  devote  us  to  the  infernal  gods.  Our  poets,  our  orators, 
our  historians,  our  harpists,  our  prima-donnas,  our  beau- 
tiful damsels,  are  to  him  a  disgust  and  hate,  the  sight  of 
whom  fills  him  with  the  desire  of  murder.  We  are  natural 
enemies,  between  whom  peace  has  never  existed  and  never 
will  exist.  It  is  a  warfare  which  the  millennium  will  not 
terminate.  It  seems  to  me  that  this  singular  nomencla- 
ture was  given  to  the  prairie  as  a  satire  both  upon  the 
snake  and  the  prairie.  When  the  true  facts  of  the  case 
shall  be  elicited,  I  dare  say  it  will  be  discovered  that  the 
Devil  and  Strap  Buckner  fought  all  over  it  before  their 
warfare  was  over,  and  hence  its  forbidding  aspect  to 
this  day.* 

♦  It  has  always  appeared  to  me  that  the  history  of  Eve  and  the  serpent  is  the 
severest  satire  ever  written  or  spoken  of  the  fair  sex  ;  and  after  that  they  should 
look  with  charity  upon  the  little  uncharitable  flings  of  the  sterner  sex  at  some 
of  their  peculiarities.  Juvenal,  who  was  a  merciless,  almost  brutal,  satirist  of 
the  womankind,  never  wrote  anything  half  so  severe.  From  the  Mosaic  stand- 
point, Eve  was  the  most  perfect  as  well  as  the  fairest  of  her  sex.  She  came  into 
the  world  sinless,  by  the  direct  act  of  the  hands  of  God,  and  differed  from  the 
pure  angels  only  in  that  she  had  no  wings,  and  was  not  of  ethereal  or  spiritual 
substance  ;  and  yet  this  most  superior  woman  allowed  herself  to  be  led  from  her 
allegiance  to  her  husband  and  her  God,  and  utterly  perverted  and  njined,  by  the 
seductions  of  a  hideous  high-land  moccasin  or  a  cobra  di  capello— a  creature 
which  no  woman  since  has  ever  been  able  to  behold  without  an  involuntary 
shudder  or  scream  1  The  idea  of  a  lady  accepting  a  gift  from  one  of  these  hid- 
eous creatures,  particularly  when  presented  from  his  mouth,  seems  utterly  out 
of  the  question. 

Note  2.— Two  gentlemen,  residing  near  San  Antonio,  who  had  been  bitten  by 
rattlesnakes,  told  me  that  no  sooner  had  the  reptiles  struck  them  than  they 
scampered  away  with  every  manifestation  of  delight  over  the  deed  they  had 
done.  Said  one  of  these  gentlemen  :  '*  Snakes,  you  know,  glide  away  smoothly, 
with  the  entire  body  prone  to  the  ground  ;  but  this  fellow  who  had  bitten  me, 
scampered  away  with  an  up-and-down,  or  wave-like  motion  of  the  body,  as  if 
he  was  thrilled  with  delight.  Getting  under  a  large  rock  where  he  was  safe  from 
pursuit,  he  turned  and  raising  his  head  aloft  waved  it  to  and  fro,  as  if  he  were 


76      TWO   THOUSAN^D   MILES   II!^   TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK. 

And  yet  I  should  be  false  to  every  fair  consideration  if 
I  should  speak  only  of  the  evil  points  of  this  remarkable 
prairie,  and  leave  its  good  ones  unheralded.  In  one  aspect 
it  is  remarkably  good  —  a  very  angel  of  beneficence. 
Standing  above  the  surrounding  region,  it  disperses  over 
the  vales  and  plains  below,  with  every  rain  that  falls, 
nearly  all  the  fertility  it  derives  from  its  decomposing  rocks 
and  vegetation,  from  bird  or  animal,  or  receives  from  the 
atmosphere.  The  quantity  which  it  thus  casts  annually 
upon  its  neighbors  is  great,  keeping  them  always  rich, 
though  in  doing  so  it  condemns  itself  to  everlasting  poverty. 
It  distills,  collects,  disperses  and  concentrates  fertility,  and 
the  world  is  the  better  off  for  it.  It  is  therefore  like  unto 
a  great  soul  that  labors  incessantly  and  lovingly  with  the 
single  thought  to  confer  blessings  upon  others,  contenting 
itself  with  the  sublime  reward  which  the  consciousness  of 
such  good  bestows.  When  I  think  of  it  in  this  aspect,  I 
can  scarcely  repress  my  admiration  of  the  lonesome,  aban- 
doned prairie,  and  it  almost  repents  me  to  have  spoken  of 
it  as  I  have.  It  would,  too,  make  a  noble  sheep-walk 
unto  the  shepherd  that  dwells  in  the  vales  below.  Its 
short,  stubby  grasses  would  be  the  delight  of  these  nibblers, 
who  prefer  dainty  little  morsels  to  the  ranker  food  of  the 
rich  valleys. 

The  Yale  of  Seclusive. 

Ten  miles  over  this  lonely  dispenser  of  fertility,  who 
worketh  only  for  the  good  of  others,  scorning  its  own,  I 
descended  abruptly  into  another  vale  where  the  whole 
prospect  pleases.     It  was  like  stepping  out  of  a  desert  into 

sajnng  to  himself  :  '  Ah,  old  fellow,  I  have  got  you  now  !  Don't  yon  feel  good, 
though  ? '  It  would  require  but  little  stretch  of  the  imagination  to  conceive 
that  snake  the  veritable  old  devil  himself  ! " 

Note  3,—*'  Be  as  wise  as  serpents.'''' — The  particular  sort  of  wisdom  here  meant 
is  probably  that  which  holds  that  everyone  will  bear  watching,  and  will  harm 
you  if  he  can.  Be  ever  on  the  alert  to  take  care  of  yourself  !  Trust  not  at  all, 
unless  that  ye  be  *'  deceived  and  likewise  sucked  in." 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   O^   HORSEBACK.       77 

an  oasis  of  roses  and  fairies.  This  is  called  ^^  Live  Oak 
Creek,"  and  it  is  so  much  like  the  Buckner  Creek  valley 
that  each  seems  either.  It  is  only  less  in  width,  but  not 
so  in  fertility  and  varied  beauty  of  scenery.  Its  level 
bosom  is  occupied  by  the  same  prosperous-looking  farms — 
the  cotton  bale  piled  high  or  tumbled  around  loosely  in 
every  yard.  The  noble  live-oak,  with  his  Druid  beard, 
appears  here  for  the  first  time  on  my  journey,  and  is  the 
principal  shade  tree  around  the  dwellings  of  the  farmers. 
This  valley  is  so  remote  from  the  busy  scenes  of  life  that 
I  involuntarily  named  it  Seclusive.  Away  from  railroad^, 
away  from  town  and  village,  it  rests  in  sweet,  sleepy 
security. 

"  A  pleasing  land  of  drowsj'-head  it  is — 
Of  forms  that  move  before  the  half  shut  eye  : " 

SO  gentle,  so  placid,  so  remote  is  it.  If  one  wishes  to  get 
away  from  lawyers,  and  doctors,  and  duns,  I  can  recom- 
mend to  him  no  better  locality. 

I  stopped  at  a  comfortable  farm  house  by  the  road-side 
and  a  fair  young  girl  fed  me  on  butter-milk,  eggs,  honey 
and  a  leg  of  mutton.  I  asked  her  if  she  did  not  often  wish 
that  she  had  the  wings  of  a  dove,  so  she  might  fly  away 
from  this  seclusion  and  return  at  will  ?  She  said  she  had 
often  heard  of  the  sensation  of  loneliness,  but  had  never 
had  the  opportunity  to  feel  it.  She  tossed  back  a  wealth 
of  locks  as  if  more  completely  to  reveal  a  face  that  would 
be  called  pretty  anywhere,  and  I  have  little  doubt  that  she 
mentally  said  to  me  :  ^'  There,  do  you  think  with  so  much 
beauty  I  could  be  lonely  ?  "  She  said  there  ^^  were  plenty 
of  girls  in  the  valley,  and  as  for  that,  young  men,  too,"  and 
that  they  very  often  had  their  meetings  and  rides.  *^  And 
their  love  scrapes  too,"  said  I.  ^*  Of  course,"  said  she 
with  a  laugh.  She  told  me  that  her  father  and  brothers 
had  *^gone  to  the  railroad  with  the  wagons,"  loaded  with 
cotton  and  hides  no  doubt,  and  that  their  return  would  be 


78       TWO   THOUSAND   MILFS   IN   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK. 

an  event  in  the  family,  as  ''  all  would  then  get  a  present  and 
something  new."  I  asked  how  often  these  trips  to  the 
railroad  were  made  ?  '^  About  twice  a  year/'  she  said. 
And  all  the  rest  of  their  lives  were  passed  on  the  quiet 
farm.  It  would  seem  impossible  that  such  a  people  could 
be  otherwise  than  sober,  virtuous  and  good. 

Post  Oak  Belts. 

Leaving  the  vale  of  Seclusive,  I  rode  again  into  one  of 
those  remarkable  belts  of  iron-oak,  which  occur  frequently 
in  Texas.  It  was  of  the  same  character  with  them  all, 
save  that  the  peculiar  features  were  probably  better  devel- 
oped than  usual :  a  soil  more  sandy^  the  forest  denser,  and 
the  solitude  more  profound.  The  trees  were  of  large  size 
and  excellent  timber.  The  hog  seems  to  be  sole  master 
of  this  solitude,  and  through  it  he  roams  and  fattens  at 
will,  on  no  other  food  than  that  which  spontaneous  nature 
provides  him.  Many  of  them  are  in  the  state  ferm  nat- 
iircB,  the  rightful  prey  of  any  who  may  secure  them. 
Occasionally  I  surprise  some  of  these  as  I  ride  noiselessly 
through  the  forest.  They  bound  away  with  immense 
speed,  as  if  they  thought  all  fury  was  in  pursuit  of  them, 
and  the  woods  roar  behind  them. 

These  great  forests  seem  to  me  a  perplexing  and  yet  in- 
teresting problem  in  geology,  which  to  my  knowledge  has 
not  been  solved.  They  are  usually  in  belts,  many  miles 
wide,  extending  great  distances.  Their  usual  or  probably 
invariable  direction  is  north-east  and  south-west.  Two  of 
these  belts,  known  as  the  Cross  Timbers,  extend  nearly  the 
entire  distance  of  the  State  ;  and  all  of  them,  w^hether  great 
or  small,  sit  on  eminences  above  the  contiguous  territory. 
But  the  most  striking  feature  that  distinguishes  them  from 
the  country  through  which  they  pass,  is  their  soil.  The 
soil  of  the  prairies  and  even  the  timbered  districts  which 
lie  against  them,  is  dark  arid  tenacious,  while  that  of  these 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.      79 

belts  is  precisely  tlie  opposite,  sand  being  the  predominant 
feature.  Indeed,  some  of  them  are  so  sandy  that  they  are 
unfit  for  cultivation.  Whence  comes  this  remarkable  dif- 
ference in  soils  that  lie,  sometimes  for  hundreds  of  miles, 
immediately  alongside  of  each  other  ?  It  is  plain  that  they 
have  been  derived  from  totally  different  materials,  as  two 
things  so  utterly  variant  could  not  come  from  the  same 
source.  It  is  a  fact,  too,  that  the  rocks  which  lie  under  the 
prairies  are  usually  some  variety  of  limestone,  while  those 
of  these  hills,  according  to  my  observation,  are  invariably 
sandstone  ;  and  yet  they  are  of  th-e  same  geological  age  as 
the  limestone  of  the  contiguous  prairie,  and  sometimes 
even  of  a  later  date.  This  latter  is  the  case  in  this  present 
forest,  where  all  the  stone  that  I  see  exposed  is  evidently 
newer  than  the  out-cropping  stone  of  the  contiguous  prai- 
rie ;  and  yet  there  can  hardly  be  a  reasonable  doubt  that 
these  post-oak  ridges  rose  above  the  ancient  waters  prior  to 
the  prairie.* 

While  thinking  of  these  strange  features  of  these  belts, 
I  remembered  the  bars,  or  long  narrow  banks  of  sand  that 
are  common  in  the  bays  and  off  the  coast  of  Texas,  and 
they  seemed  to  me  to  disclose  the  whole  mystery  of  their 
formation.  At  all  events,  tliere  is  a  wonderful  likeness  be- 
tween them.  These  sand-bars  are  raised  upon  a  bottom  of 
hard,  marly  clay,  precisely  similar  to  the  formation  a  few 
feet  under  the  prairies.  Such  is  the  nature  of  the  bottom 
all  about  them.  Their  tendency  is  to  grow  continually, 
and  they  would  in  time,  if  not  combatted  by  the  art  of  man, 
erect  impossible  barriers  to  navigation.  Such  are  the  two 
annoying  bars  in  Galveston  Bay,  and  such  the  two,  still 
more  annoying,  off  Galveston  Island,  upon  which  hundreds 
of  thousands  of  dollars  have  been  spent.     Other  similar 

*  The  state  geologist  in  his  last  report,  states  that  this  is  the  case,  also,  with 
the  upper  Cross  Timbers,  in  the  northern  portion  of  the  state,  in  which  the  sur- 
face development  is  Tertiary,  while  all  the  region  about  them  is  Cretaceous  or 
older. 


80      TWO   THOUSAltTD   MILES   IK  TEXAS   01^   HOKSEBACK. 

banks  have  been  discovered  far  out  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico, 
all  having  the  same  direction  of  north-east  and  south-west. 
The  great  "  Telegraphic  Plateau/'  running  across  the  At- 
lantic from  New  Foundland  to  Ireland,  is  probably  another 
example  on  a  larger  scale,  and  for  all  that  we  know  the 
ocean  may  contain  thousands  of  other  instances.  Whence 
they  derive  their  sands,  and  by  what  peculiar  attraction  or 
forces  they  are  thus  agglomerated  and  heaped  up,  are 
questions  not  here  within  my  line;  but  we  behold  the  re- 
sults. If  these  bars  or  long  banks  of  sand  were  left  exposed 
above  the  surface,  the  soil  which  would  form  upon  them 
would  be  precisely  that  of  the  remarkable  post-oak  belts  of 
Texas — sand  mixed  with  the  carbonaceous  matter  and  other 
elements  of  decayed  vegetable  and  animal  matter,  I  be- 
lieve then,  in  the  absence  of  a  better  theory,  that  these 
great  hills,  so  strangely  different  from  all  the  country  about 
them,  are  but  the  bars  and  banks  which  formed  in  the 
seas  of  the  ancient  world,  and  that  many  of  them  rose 
above  the  surface  while  the  prairies  were  still  under  water. 
I  am  not  able  to  perceive  any  other  hypothesis  that  will 
explain  the  phenomena,  and  I  give  it  with  considerable 
confidence  that  the  Texas  geologists  will  find  it  correct. 
The  bars  and  banks  now  fornjing  in  the  bays  and  off  the 
coast  of  Texas,  differ  from  the  bottom  about  them  pre- 
cisely as  these  belts  differ  from  the  contiguous  lands,  and 
the  conclusion  seems  irresistible  that  the  same  results  had 
similar  causes. 

Thus  ages  and  ages  ago,  when  the  vast  area  of  Texas, 
and  perhaps  the  whole  world,  lay  dormant  under  the  dark 
ocean,  we  behold  the  great  Architect  so  disposing  his  mys- 
terious forces  as  to  work  out  the  greatest  benefits  for  the 
dense  populations  whom  He  knew  would  one  day  swarm 
over  this  land.  These  great  forest-belts,  though  often 
sterile  in  soil,  are  great  natural  benefits,  without  which 
the  land  would  not  be  half  so  blessed.     They  have  their 


TWO    THOUSAN^D    MILES    II!^^   TEXAS   ON    HORSEBACK.       81 

uses  in  the  inexhaustible  supply  of  fuel  and  timber  for  the 
prairies,  their  abundant  mast,  and  their  equable  influence 
on  the  seasons.  Truly  the  Great  Architect  ^^doeth  all 
things  well." 

Plum  Creek. 

I  rode  ten  miles  through  the  forest, when  the  monotony 
was  relieved  by  a  heavy  swell  in  the  ground,  running  north 
and  south  a  number  of  miles.  It  looks  as  if  it  might  have 
been  a  fortification  erected  by  the  embattled  giants  in  the 
days  of  old,  so  regular  is  it  in  its  outlines.  The  oaks  grow 
all  over  it.  The  sandstones  that  bulge  out  along  its  flanks 
are  infiltrated  thoroughly  with  iron,  and  masses  of  ore  lie 
loose  on  the  surface.*  The  outward  indications  give  prom- 
ise that  this  ridge  holds  unlimited  store  of  iron  locked  in 
its  bowels,  and  if  this  be  so  it  will  one  day  be  very  valua- 
ble, though  now  doubtless  much  despised.  Descending  its 
long  western  slope  I  entered  the  valley  of  Plum  Creek,  fa- 
mous in  Texas  history  as  the  vale  in  which  two  hundred 
Texas  boys  foaght  all  day  hand  to  hand  with  a  thousand 
Comanche  warriors,  and  gave  them  a  sound  drubbing. 
Those  Texas  boys  of  old  were  certainly  a  terrible  set  of 
fighters,  the  like  of  whom  in  that  line  probably  the  world 
has  never  seen.  They  had  a  true  genius  for  fight,  and  their 
descendants  are  amply  gifted  with  it  to  this  day.  When 
tliey  went  in  they  went  in  all  over,  with  the  full  determi- 
nation to  conquer  or  die  in  their  tracks.  This  stream  is  in- 
significant in  itself,  sometimes  stealing  along,  a  mere  rill, 
sometimes  standing  in  dark,  deep  pools,  hidden  everywhere 
under  a  dense  growth  of  wild  peach  ;  but  its  valley  is  as  great 
as  that  of  a  great  river,  and  of  fertility  that  seems  unmatched 
save  in  Texas.  The  Texans  have  a  saying  :  "  Where  the 
wild  peach  grows,  buy  and  grow  rich  ; "  and  I  cannot  doubt 
that  it  is  sound  advice  and  true  prophecy,  from  what  this 
valley  discloses.  The  wild  peach  here  is  the  principal 
4* 


82      TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IK   TEXAS   OX   HORSEBACK. 

growth,  the  great  iron-oak  belt  having  terminated  sud- 
denly at  the  foot  of  the  ridge.  This  tree  is  a  beautiful 
evergreen,  closely  resembling  the  orange,  but  with  the 
smell  of  th^  peach,  and  yields  a  mast  which  hogs  and  fowls 
delight  in.  The  wild  turkey  thinks  it  the  choicest  offering 
of  the  woods,  and  groweth  so  fat  upon  it  that  when  you 
shoot  him  in  a  tree,  his  breast  bursteth  as  he  falls,  from  the 
excessive  fat.  Farms  are  numerous  in  the  valley,  but  I 
judge  that  hardly  one  in  ten  of  its  noble  acres  has  yet  felt 
the  plowshare  in  its  bosom.  What  a  glorious  wealth  un- 
plucked  !  There  is  this  to  be  said  of  these  Texas  valleys  : 
every  successive  one  the  wanderer  enters  seems  to  him  the 
richest,  and  most  beautiful,  and  best.  Travelling  over  the 
State  one  soon  becomes  confused  where  to  choose.  Per- 
haps as  good  a  plan  as  any  is  to  shut  the  eye  and  go  it 
blind.  Should  he  perchance  stumble  and  stop  on  Plum 
Creek,  it  is  impossible  he  should  ever  regret  it,  if  to  till 
deep  and  inexhaustibly  rich  acres,  in  a  land  that  is  a  gar- 
den of  health  and  serene  beauty,  be  his  choice.  If  the 
people  who  dwell  here  can  wish  for  anything  that  they 
have  not  in  their  lands  and  climate,  their  bump  of  longing 
must  be  more  unappeasable  than  that  of  the  horse-leech's 
daughter.  In  short,  theirs  must  be  a  true  genius  to  be 
discontented.  This  valley  with  its  windings  is  hardly  less 
than  a  hundred  miles  in  length  ;  it  is  so  broad  in  many 
places  that  it  does  not  look  much  like  a  valley,  and  the 
same  amazing  fertihty  marks  it  from  its  source  to  its  con- 
fluence with  the  San  Marcos.  I  deliberately  write  it  down 
as  one  of  the  gem  spots  of  earth.  Its  people  are  nearly  all 
Americans  from  the  older  Southern  States,  and  seem  un- 
usually intelligent  and  attractive  in  their  manners. 

Mesquite  Chaparkal. 

And  what  is  this  that  springs  up  so  suddenly  before 
me  ?     It  is  something  that  I  have  not  seen  before  on  my 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   TN   TEXAS   0^   HORSEBACK.       83 

journey.  It  starts  up  as  unawares  as  an  iron-oak  belt,  and 
is  like  a  ^reat  army  that  moves  with  closed  ranks.  It  is  a 
mesquite  chaparral,  and  distinctly  tells  me  that  I  have  now 
entered  the  great  region  of  Western  Texas,  of  which  it  is 
a  peculiar  plume.  Bless  me,  how  thick  it  is  !  A  horse- 
man thirty  feet  away  would  be  completely  buried  out  of 
sight.  The  grass  on  the  shaded  ground  looks  like  a  rich 
Turkish  carpet,  so  velvety,  clean  and  luxuriant  that  one 
feels  inclined  to  dismount  from  his  steed  and  roll  on  it  like 
a  boy.  That  grass  is  the  '^  curly  mesquite,"  the  sweetest 
and  most  nutritious  of  all  the  rich  grasses  that  Texas  so 
abundantly  provides  for  the  millions  of  animals  that  feed 
upon  her  bosom.  It  is  the  invariable  accompaniment  of 
the  mesquite  chaparral,  though  the  mesquite  chaparral 
does  not  always  accompany  it. 

The  growth  of  this  chaparral  or  thicket  is  a  brusli, 
shooting  out  a  number  of  long  branches  from  a  common 
centre  at  the  ground,  armed  with  thorns,  and  every  branch 
produces  a  number  of  smaller  branches  likewise  armed. 
The  foliage  is  light  and  feathery,  pinnate,  and  drooping 
in  long  racemes.  Such  is  its  character  here  and  in  all  the 
chaparrals,  but  when  it  grows  alone,  or  scattered  widely 
apart,  it  becomes  a  tree,  about  the  ordinary  size  of  the 
peach,  and  at  a  distance,  when  stripped  of  its  leaver  in 
winter,  greatly  resembles  that  tree.  In  the  chaparral  it  is 
almost  an  evergreen,  for  its  long-reaching,  multitudinous 
boughs  protect  from  the  cold  northers  and  seem  to  main- 
tain perpetual  spring.  It  is  a  legume,  probably  of  the 
sub-order  of  mimosas,  and  herein  is  one  of  its  most  nota- 
ble properties.  It  yields  annually  an  abundant  crop  of 
beans,  the  pods,  from  five  inches  to  a  foot  in  length,  hang- 
ing in  clusters  from  the  boughs.  These  pods  are  very 
similar  in  appearance  to  that  of  the  corn-field  pea,  but, 
owing  to  a  rich  saccharine  pulp,  they  never  become  shelly 
or  dry.     They  cannot  advance  to  a  higher  state  of  desic- 


84      TWO   THOUSAND    MILES   IN   TEXAS   02s    HORSEBACK. 

cation  than  the  sugar-corn,  either  in  the  pod  or  bean. 
The  bean  is  small  and  flattened,  separated  from  each 
other  by  a  considerable  space  of  pulp  in  the  pod,  and 
ivhen  chewed  in  the  mouth  is  sweet  to  the  taste  and  sticky 
to  the  teeth.  When  ripe,  horses  and  cattle  devour  them 
with  great  relish,  and  they  will  not  touch  them  when  not 
ripe,  because  they  are  then  bitter  and  acrid.  It  can  hardly 
be  doubted  that  in  nutritive  matter  they  excel  any  edible 
pod  in  existence,  and  milk-maids  say  they  produce  a 
greater  and  richer  flow  of  milk  than  any  food  they  are 
acquainted  with.  I  have  never  known  them  to  be  eaten 
by  man  as  a  food,  but  I  dare  say  if  boiled  as  a  ^*  snap- 
short"  when  tender,  they  would  furnish  a  very  palata- 
ble dish. 

And  here  comes  a  singular  and  interesting  point. 
When  the  rains  have  been  abundant  and  the  grasses  un- 
usually luxuriant,  the  mesquite  yields  but  a  slim  crop  of 
beans  ;  when  the  rains  have  been  moderate,  and  the  grasses 
are  of  moderate  luxuriance,  the  crop  is  greatly  increased; 
but  when  the  drought  has  been  severe  and  the  grass  is  poor, 
the  mesquite  is  literally  burdened  with  its  clusters  of  rich 
pods.  I  admit  that  this  seems  singular,  but  it  is  a  fact 
which  every  old  Western  Texan  will  confirm.  I  do  not 
think  I  ever  observed,  in  all  the  works  of  beneficent  nature, 
a  more  beautiful  indication  of  design,  or  stronger  proof 
of  the  infinite  goodness  and  careful  provision  of  the 
Creator,  whose  eye  nothing  escapes.  During  the  winter 
following  a  severe  drought,  myriads  of  innocent  creatures 
on  the  plains  would  suffer,  and  man  would  be  injured  in 
his  property  and  lessened  in  his  comfort,  were  it  not  for 
the  timely  offering,  from  the  thorny  branches  of  the  mes- 
quite, of  a  food  as  rich  as  it  is  abundant.  It  reminds  me 
of  the  mysterious  quails  and  manna  in  the  desert.* 

*  The  mesquite   has    three   other  valuable  properties :   it  exudes    a    gum, 
equal  to  gum-arabic  for  every  purpose  for  which  that  gum  is  used  ;  it  is  rich 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.      85 

But  in  one  point  the  chaparral  is  deceptive.  To  him 
who  approaches  it,  it  presents  the  appearance  of  an  im- 
penetrable entanglement;  but,  on  entering,  he  finds  each 
mesquite  separated  some  feet  apart,  and  though  the 
branches  interlap  and  form  numerous  arches  above,  there 
are  open  spaces  and  winding  labyrinths,  in  which  the 
horse  and  ox  find  no  inconvenience  to  food  find  roam, 
and  the  skilled  horseman,  clad  in  buckskin  and  heavy 
gloves,  to  protect  against  the  thorns,  can  even  dash 
through  them  at  a  sharp  pace.  Everywhere  they  are 
illuminated  with  patches  of  sunlight  on  the  grass,  and 
they  are  pretty  places  to  wander  in  afoot :  there  being 
nothing  of  gloom  about  them,  if  we  may  bar  the  suspi- 
cion that  a  highwayman  may  be  lurking  within  them, 
watching  an  opportunity  to  spring  upon  his  prey  :  some- 
thing that  not  unfrequently  happens  in  the  chaparral 
along  the  Eio  Grande.  Perhaps  I  shall  have  more  to  say 
of  the  chaparral  after  awhile. 

HoG-wALLOw  Prairie. 

The  prairie  which  has  been  seized  upon  by  this  chap- 
arral, has  also  a  peculiarity  new  to  me  on  this  journey. 
It  is  filled  with  saucer-like  depressions, from  the  size  of  a 
wash-bowl  to  many  feet  in  diameter.  These  are  thought 
to  resemble  the  wallows  made  by  hogs  in  muddy  places, 
and  hence  this  peculiar  style  of  prairie  is  called  '•'hog- 
wallow  prairie."  The  depressions  are  so  numerous  that  it 
looks  as  if  the  earth  had  suffered  from  a  severe  case  of 
small-pox,  but  the  pits  rarely  if  ever  run  into  each  other. 
The  soil  upon  this,  as  upon  all  other  hog- wallow  prairies, 
is  of  the  glossy  blackness  of  tar,  and  when  wet,  is  nearly 
of  the  consistence  and  quite  as  sticky  as  tar.     When  rubbed 

in  tannin,  and  as  a  fuel  wood  ia  not  surpassed.    It  would  no  doubt,  when  large 
enough,  prove  a  beautiful  timber  for  cabinet  work. 


86      TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK. 

in  the  hand  it  is  of  a  sleek  and  unctuous  feel^  and  has  not  a 
trace  of  sand.  It  is  the  very  creme  de  la  or  erne  of  fertility. 
It  has  a  capacity  for  resisting  drought  beyond  that  of  all 
other  lands.  When  the  crops  on  adjoining  lands  are  with- 
ering under  the  scorching  sun,  they  still  laugh  with  mer- 
riment on  the  hog- wallow  prairie.  They  are  difficult  to 
reduce  to  cultivation  ;  but  once  subdued,  they  remain  sub- 
dued. No  soil  is  then  more  tractable  or  handsomely  be- 
haved, provided  it  is  not  meddled  with  when  wet. 

How  shall  we  account  for  these  small-pox  depressions, 
and  the  enormous  fertility  of  the  hog-wallow  prairie  ?  I 
believe  that  they  were  once  marshes,  in  which  the  warm 
sun  and  the  constantly  increasing  fertility  stimulated  a 
great  rankness  of  vegetation.  They  were  alive  with  rep- 
tiles and  aquatic  fowls.  They  are  always  in  depressions, 
and  never  in  a  position  not  favorable  to  this  theory.  When 
marshes  are  drained,  the  exposed  surface  is  always  found 
covered  with  swellings  and  depressions,  resulting  from 
currents,  the  accumulation  of  vegetable  matter  in  heaps, 
and  from  other  causes.  In  the  process  of  drying,  under 
the  hot  sun,  the  earth  shrinks  and  cracks,  and  the  irregu- 
larities are  multiplied  by  the  soil  washing  into  and  filling 
up  these  openings.  They  therefore  for  a  long  time  present 
precisely  the  same  uneven  appearance  as  the  hog- wallow 
prairie.  The  soil  is  also  rich  and  black  with  decayed  vege- 
tation, free  from  sand  and  unctuous  to  the  feel ;  and  if  the 
drained  marsh  happens  to  be  in  a  country  having  the  same 
mineral  ingredients  as  Western  Texas,  the  soil  would  be 
in  all  respects  precisely  that  of  the  hog- wallow  prairie.  In 
course  of  time  the  marshes  were  gradually  filled  up  by  the 
accumulated  rotted  matter  of  their  own  vegetation  and  the 
drift  from  the  hills,  and  the  hog- wallow  prairie  was  the 
result.  If  this  is  not  the  true  theory  of  their  formation, 
I  am  at  a  loss  to  know  what  is. 

Here  then  we  have  the  explanation  of  this  enormous 


TWO   THOUSAi^D   MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.      87 

fertility,  extending  many  feet  below  the  surface — perhaps 
fifties  and  hundreds.  Its  glossy  blackness  is  nothing  but 
rotted  reeds,  immense  palmate  leaves,  and  myriads  of  other 
aquatic  plants,  with  their  thick  net-work  of  roots,  com- 
minuted into  an  impalpable  powder,  retaining  all  the  ele- 
ments of  which  the  plants  were  composed.  This  of  itself 
is  the  very  rankness  of  fertility,  but  the  neighboring  hills 
and  uplands  have  increased  it  by  discharging  into  it,  with 
every  heavy  shower,  their  finest  particles,  with  a  great  store 
of  carbonate  of  lime  from»  their  decomposing  rocks.  In- 
deed, the  soil  of  these  prairies  is  so  thoroughly  infiltrated 
with  lime  that  it  is  a  marl — a  humo-calcareous  marl,  or 
the  richest  marl  that  possibly  can  exist.  Its  remarkable 
capacity  for  withstanding  drought  is  the  result  of  the 
absorbent  and  retentive  nature  of  the  materials  of  which 
it  is  composed  ;  for  both  humus  and  lime  attract  moisture 
from  the  atmosphere  and  retain  it  ;  in  other  words,  they 
bring  copious  showers  to  themselves  which  come  sparingly 
elsewhere.  With  deep  plowing  and  faithful  stirring  of  the 
surface,  so  as  to  prevent  the  formation  of  a  crust,  it  is  not 
probable  that  crops  on  these  prairies  could  be  seriously  in- 
jured by  the  most  prolonged  drought  likely  to  be  seen  in 
Western  Texas. 

I  have  said  that  the  hog-wallow  is  of  a  sticky  nature. 
It  sticketh  closer  than  a  brother.  Let  one  attempt  to 
walk  across  a  plowed  field  after  a  shower.  It  accumulates 
upon  his  shoes  until  they  have  become  of  such  prodigious 
weight  that  he  can  hardly  drag  one  foot  after  another  ;  and 
it  continueth  to  accumulate  and  stick,  until  at  last  the 
wearied  wayfarer  is  relieved  by  its  falling  off  by  its  own 
weight — only  to  see  the  huge  following  renewed  a'fter  a 
few  steps.  It  is  the  same  with  vehicles  travelling  a  road 
over  a  hog-wallow  prairie  in  wet  weather  ;  only  more  so, 
as  there  is  greater  space  for  the  huge  heap  to  accumulate 
upon.     Even  in  dry  weather,  it  is  extremely  disagreeable, 


88      TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   11^  TEXAS   01^   HORSEBACK. 

travelling  over  these  prairies  in  a  carriage,  there  being  a 
continual  bound  and  jolt,  as  the  wheels  sink  into  and  rise 
out  of  the  depressions. 

Just  at   dark  I   rode  into   Lockhart,  the  capital  of 
Caldwell  County,  and  passed  the  night. 


VIII. 

LOCKHART. 

"TTTHEIST  the  first  rays  of  the  sun  were  sparkling  in 
V  V  the  dewdrops  on  the  live-oak  leaves,  I  arose  and 
stepped  abroad  for  a  morning  walk  in  Lockhart.  It  is  an 
engaging  little  cluster  of  residences  and  country  stores, 
churches  and  academies,  cosily  built,  and  an  air  of  gentil- 
ity pervades  it.  Its  population  is  less  than  a  thousand, 
nearly  all  Americans,  doubtless  from  the  older  agricultural 
districts  of  the  South.  Its  situation  is  picturesque ;  with 
broad,  open  prairie,  here  and  there  waving  with  green 
chaparral;  with  stately  forest,  and  sloping  hill  crowned 
with  forest,  around  it  or  in  the  background.  The  yards 
and  gardens  show  taste  and  cultivation,  and  it  at  once 
strikes  me  as  the  capital  community  of  a  polite  people. 
I  know  not  how  it  is,  but  it  marked  a  very  pretty  little 
place  in  my  memory,  and  I  often  recall  it  and  think  of  it 
with  pleasant  thoughts.  It  has  written  upon  me  the  im- 
pression that  it  is  a  sweet,  placid,  quiet  little  community, 
where  every  one  loves  his  neighbors,  and  is  by  them  be- 
loved ;  where  the  summer  nights  are  melodious  with  the 
mocking-bird,  and  peace  reigns ;  where  boys  cannot  grow 
up  rowdies,  and  where  girls  blossom  into  sweet  and  per- 
fect womanhood,  to  make  some  good  fellow's  home  happy. 
I  can  hardly  account  for  it,  for  my  stay  was  not  long  and 
my  acquaintance  limited,  and  yet  such  are  the  lines  that 
Lockhart  wrote  on  my  mind  and  memory.  Sweet  be  its 
cradled  slumbers  !  * 

*  Since  my  visit,  Lockhart,  in  confirmation  of  these  good  impressions,  hae 


90      TWO   THOUSAND    MILES   I2!f   TEXAS   OIS"   HORSEBACK. 

Her  peculiar  physical  features  are  the  magnificent  groves 
of  live-oak,  in  which  she  sits  embowered,  and  the  remarka- 
ble outburst  of  springs  at  her  feet.  The  live-oaks  are 
among  the  most  stately  of  the  race,  spreading  their  hori- 
zontal, thickly-foliaged  boughs  over  a  wide  area,  and  have 
a  strange  appearance  of  veneration  from  the  long  grey  moss 
that  hangs  from  every  limb,  like  the  beard  of  a  patriarch. 
They  are  so  numerous  that  they  conceal  the  village  until 
one  has  entered  it.  They  make  a  glorious  shade,  and 
I  judge  that  Lockhart  must  be  a  sweet  retreat  in  sum- 
mer, for  its  shady  walks.  The  springs  are  a  dozen  or 
more,  all  bold  and  strong,  of  the  purest  water,  bursting 
out  within  a  small  space  in  a  noble  grove.  They  quickly 
unite  their  waters  and  send  a  dashing, singing  brook  away, 
down  a  green  and  shaded  dell.  They  gurgle  up  from 
deep  fountains  in  the  sandstone,  and  their  deliciously  cool 
water  supplies  the  whole  community. 

I  chatted  with  the  gentlemen  of  Lockhart  several  hours, 
because  I  liked  the  climate  and  other  things,  obtaining 
whatever  information  I  could  of  their  noble  country  in  an 
unobtrusive  way.  They  seemed  to  take  much  interest  in 
me  from  the  fact  that  I  liked  the  country,  and  pressed  me 
with  courtesies  to  stop  some  days,  and  ride  with  them  over 
parts  I  had  not  seen  and  would  not  see  on  my  route.  It 
makes  me  pleased  with  myself  to  have  received  such  vol- 
untary courtesies  from  a  people  whom  I  highly  respect.  I 
was  sorry  I  could  not  stay,  but  they  told  me  that  in  their 
county  are  several  sulphur  and  chalybeate  springs,  and 
one  of  alum,  all  in  charming  localities  and  needing  only 
capital  to  make  them  popular  resorts.  They  spoke  of  a 
deep  vale  in  which  pure  soda  accumulates  in  great  quan- 
tity. As  for  iron,  they  thought  their  ^'  Iron  Hills  "  had 
enough  to  furnish  all  the  railways  of  Texas.     They  spoke 

refused  by  a  large  majority  of  the  vote  of  her  citizens,  to  allow  tippling  shops 
on  her  streets.    When  I  heard  of  it  I  could  but  exclaim,  "  It  is  just  like  her  1 " 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   i:^  TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.       91 

of  their  neighboring  town  of  Prairie  Lea  as  a  charming 
little  community,  situated  in  a  country  unexcelled  for 
beauty  and  fertility.  Indeed  I  do  not  hesitate  to  say  that 
Caldwell  County  is  one  of  the  best  regions  of  Texas,  in 
land,  beauty  and  people.  The  people  in  their  character 
seem  to  partake  of  the  gentleness  and  amenity  of  the 
scenery  in  which  they  live. 

Wealth  Uj^tdeyeloped. — West  Texas  Scenery. 

It  was  ten  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  6th  of  Janu- 
ary, when  I  resumed  my  journey,  riding  nearly  southward. 
I  rode  over  a  hog-wallow  prairie  five  or  six  miles,  dotted 
with  numerous  farms.  All  of  this  was  the  great  valley  of 
the  little  Plum  Creek,  which  I  now  crossed,  and  the  scene 
instantly  changed.  Full  twenty  miles  I  rode  over  a  great 
prairie,  consisting  of  an  accumulation  of  swells  and  undu- 
lations of  the  most  graceful  outlines.  The  mesquite  brush 
grew  upon  them  in  thin  and  scattering  clusters,  inevitably 
predicting  the  day  when  the  chaparral  shall  possess  them 
all.  They  are  the  messengers  of  the  great  army  that  is 
advancing.  Occasional  ravines  wind  among  them  in  tor- 
tuous courses,  containing  no  streams  but  many  deep  pools 
of  the  clearest  and  sweetest  water,  being  principally  rain- 
water caught  from  the  hills.  The  rich  curly  mesquite 
grass  was  in  complete  possession,  with  its  beautiful,  smooth 
carpet  of  pea-green.  Thousands  of  cattle  and  horses  were 
visible  everywhere,  and  an  occasional  flock  of  sheep  cov- 
ered the  hills.  For  ten  miles  there  was  a  gradual  but 
steady  ascent,  until  I  felt  myself  lifted  far  toward  the 
clouds.  Then  I  stood  upon  an  eminence  from  which  I 
beheld  the  vast  country  for  many  miles  to  the  west,  east 
and  south.  It  was  a  prospecc  of  singular  beauty :  the 
graceful  swells  and  rolling  undulations  all  about  and  be- 
low me  ;  the  winding  ravines  and  flashing  pools,  and  long 
lines  of  dark,  distant  forest  in  every  direction  except  the 


92      TWO  THOUSAND   MILES   IK  TEXAS   OK   HOKSEBACK. 

north,  whither  the  swells  and  undulations  grew  higher 
and  higher  until  lost  in  the  distance.  Then  followed  ten 
miles  of  easy,  almost  imperceptible  descent.  It  was  a 
great  backbone  or  ridge  separating  two  great  systems  of 
drainage,  and  the  eminence  upon  which  I  halted  was  the 
apex. 

Not  a  human  dwelling  in  all  this  twenty  miles  :  noth- 
ing but  strolling  herds  and  an  occasional  traveller  to  enjoy 
all  this  glorious  beauty  !  And  why  should  this  be  ?  This 
country  is  all  positively  rich,  except  rare  occasions  where 
the  rock  pushes  itself  too  near  the  surface.  The  soil  is  of 
that  rich  calcareous  sort  which  produces  the  best  devel- 
opment of  wheat,  aud  the  climate  is  exactly  that  in  which 
it  ripens  best.  In  addition  to  their  lime,  the  rocks  con- 
tain a  considerable  per  centage  of  magnesia — a  condition 
all  the  more  favorable.  In  the  dry  atmosphere,  no  dan- 
ger from  rust  here.  No  danger  from  drought  here,  be- 
cause the  crop  will  mature  and  be  gathered  in  May,  a 
month  or  more  before  the  summer  droughts  set  in. 

No  timber,  says  one,  for  fences  or  houses  !  That  is  a 
fact,  and  until  there  is  easy  access  to  the  great  forest  belts 
and  the  pineries  of  the  east,  this  magnificent  country  is 
destined  to  remain  fruitless,  except  as  the  feeding  ground 
of  thousands,  perhaps  millions  of  animals.  And  yet  there 
is  abundant  stone  to  be  quarried  from  the  hillsides,  a  ma- 
terial beautiful  and  durable  for  both  house  and  fence.  It 
is  a  costly  and  slow  process,  says  one.  I  admit  it,  and  yet 
if  I  should  dwell  in  this  country,  I  would  have  my  fences 
and  houses  only  of  stone. 

Water  supply  uncertain  :  suppose  the  pools  in  the  ravines 
should  dry  up  ?  says  another.  That  is  a  contingency  easily 
provided  against,  by  building  a  stout  dam  across  any  of  the 
ravines.  Perpetual  lakes  may  thus  be  formed,  from  which 
irrigation  may  be  practiced,  and  they  may  be  stocked  with 
trout  and  other  fish.     I  am  sure  the  day  will  come  when 


TWO   THOUSAKD   MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.       93 

all  of  this  will  be  done,  and  this  region,  now  considered  al- 
most valueless,  will  be  filled  with  prosperous  farmers,  ship- 
ping rich  argosies  of  wheat  and  many  other  products  to 
other  lands.  The  Almighty  never  intended  so  beautiful 
and  interesting  a  country  for  the  sole  occupancy  of  dumb 
brutes.  As  for  health,  it  seems  quite  impossible  for  one  in 
such  an  atmosphere  as  this,  to  be  sick.  Such  spaces  as 
these,  equally  beautiful  and  equally  fertile,  are  of  common 
occurrence  all  over  Western  Texas.* 

The  Jackass  Kabbit. 

While  passing  over  this  great  unoccupied  space,  I  saw 
frequently  a  singular  creature,  which  seemed  a  cross  be- 
tween ^  jackass  and  a  common  hare ;  yet  I  must  confess 
that  the  resemblance  is  remote  except  in  the  exceedingly 
elongated  ears,  wherein  it  is  very  striking.  For  this  reason 
he  is  called  the  mule-eared,  or  more  commonly,  the  jackass 
rabbit.  In  other  points  he  is  precisely  the  same  as  the  com- 
mon hare,  except  that  he  is  twice  as  long,  more  than  twice 
as  high,  and  the  white  of  his  belly  extends  upward  and  covers 
a  large  part  of  his  flanks.  Their  ears  are  also  tipped  with 
white,  and  while  sitting  still  they  keep  them  moving  up  and 
down,  as  the  butterfly  does  his  wings  when  sitting  on  a 
fl.ower.  They  are  graceful  as  a  doe,  quite  as  nimble  and  fleet, 
and  pretty  to  look  upon  as  they  bound  over  the  prairie. 
They  are  so  swift  and  strong  that  no  dog  but  the  greyhound 
can  overtake  them,  and  it  puts  even  his  speed  to  the  severest 
test.  An  old  gentleman,  moving  from  Tennessee,  tells  a 
tale  on  his  dog,  which,  he  said,  had  never  been  known  to 
fail  to  pick  up  a  common  hare  when  he  once  got  in  sight  of 
him.  One  day,  while  encamped  with  his  wagons,  a  jackass 
rabbit  jumped  up  within  ten  feet  of  his  dog's  nose.     That 

*  These  great  unoccupied  spaces  belong  mostly  to  the  State  and  railroad 
companies  to  whom  they  have  been  donated  by  the  State.  The  State  holds  all 
her  lands  at  $1.25  per  acre  ;  but  the  railroads  and  private  persons  will  generally 
sell  these  lands  for  much  less. 


94      TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IK   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK. 

worthy,  with  a  yelp  of  joy,  claimed  him  as  his  own,  and 
bounded  after  him  over  a  smooth  and  beautiful  prairie,  on 
which  was  nothing  to  obstruct  the  sight.  He  followed 
bravely  about  two  hundred  yards,  then  suddenly  stopped 
and  gazed  strangely  at  the  ]-etreating  hare.  Then  he  drop- 
ped his  tail,  hung  his  head  and  returned  with  an  abashed 
air  to  camp,  evidently  acknowledging  that  lie  was  for 
once  magnificently  vanquished.  Ever  after  that,  when  a 
jackass  rabbit  appeared  in  sight,  Towser  looked  at  him  and 
whined,  but  could  not  be  induced  to  pursue.  It  is  said  that 
no  dog,  except  the  greyhound,  after  becoming  acquainted 
with  them,  will  bother  his  head  at  all  about  them.  They 
inhabit  exclusively  where  the  curly  mesquite  grows,  and  are 
seldom  or  never  seen  where  it  is  not.  They  are  usually  fat, 
for  rabbits,  and  when  well  cooked  make  a  decidedly  savory 
morsel.  He  is  undoubtedly  the  top-sawyer  of  all  the  rab- 
bit race. 

The  San  Marcos. 

Having  descended  the  slope  of  ten  miles,  I  found  that 
the  dark  line  of  forest,  which  had  so  long  attracted  my 
eye,  was  the  timber  of  the  San  Marcos.  Where  my  road 
reached  the  river  it  did  not  cross  it,  but  so  much  was  I 
taken  with  its  exquisite  beauty,  that  like  a  truant  school- 
boy, I  idled  some  time  on  its  banks.  It  is  more  limpid 
and  crystal  than  even  the  blue  Colorado,  and  I  could 
see  the  lazy  cat-fish  lolling  about,  the  gaudy  perch,  mo- 
tionless, but  fanning  his  sides  with  his  fins,  and  the 
trout  darting  like  silver  arrows  hither  and  thither.  Now 
it  rolls  swiftly,  leaping  and  foaming  over  rocks  and  peb- 
bles, filling  the  forest  with  the  murmur  of  falls  ;  and  now 
it  steals  along  with  a  scarcely  perceptible  current,  in  pools 
of  profound  depth,  whose  silence  is  only  disturbed  by  the 
leaping  of  the  sporting  fishes  above  the  surface.  So  beau- 
tiful was  it,  that,  dead  of  winter  as  it  was,  I  felt  an  almost 


TWO   THOUSAND    MILES   1]!!^   TEXAS   OK    HORSEBACK.       95 

irresistible  impulse  to  plunge  and  bathe  in  its  sparkling 
water.  A  dense  forest  of  pecans,  elms,  wild-peach,  and  a 
hundred  other  varieties  of  timber,  shaded  it,  frequently  so 
locking  their  boughs  above  as  to  leave  scarcely  an  opening 
for  the  sunlight ;  and  squirrels  chattered,  and  birds  of 
brilliant  plumage  twittered  or  sang  in  the  boughs.  It 
seemed  to  me  the  sweetest  and  purest  stream  I  had  ever 
beheld — the  very  semblance  of  innocence  with  pleasure  ; 
the  sparklingest,  the  gayest,  the  laugh  ingest. 

A  singularity  of  this  beautiful  river  is  that  it  bursts 
up  suddenly  from  the  earth,  in  one  gigantic,  glorious 
fountain,  and  starts  forth  a  full-fledged  river  from  its 
birth.  No  drought  affects  it.  When  neighboring  streams 
sicken  and  pine  and  die  under  the  withering  sun,  it  glides 
merrily, or  steals  through  its  silent  pools, with  the  same 
volume — rendered  all  the  more  chaste  and  beautiful  from 
the  fact  that  no  sediment  from  the  hills  is  mingled  with 
its  water.  This  great  fountain,  with  its  dancing  and 
bursting  mounds  and  pyramids  of  water,  is  probably  the 
largest  and  most  beautiful  in  the  world. 

The  length  of  the  ^iver  in  direct  course,  is  less  than  a 
hundred  miles,  and  tlje  fall  in  t;hat  distance  is  quite  a 
thousand  feet.  Were  it  not  for  its  sinuosities,  it  would 
fly  over  the  inclined  plana  with  swiftness  rivalling  the 
flight  of  the  arrow  ;  but  even  with  these,  one  can  scarcely 
ride  a  mile  along  its  banks  without  discovering  a  mag- 
nificent water  power— all  i^nutilized— except  at  long  in- 
tervals by  the  simplest  grist-mill.  What  an  enormous 
power  is  here  waiting  on  man's  good  time  !  The  valley  is 
usually  two  to  three  miles  in  width,  with  soil  as  rich  as 
that  of  any  of  the  grand  rivers  of  Texas.  It  is  a  black 
loam,  charged  with  vegetable  matter,  and  exceedingly 
mellow  under  the  plow.  The  river  continually  shifts  sides 
as  it  passes  along — now  sweeping  against  the  butting  cliffs 
on  one  side,  and  now  hurrying  across  the  valley  to  sweep 


9G      TWO   THOUSAND    MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON   HOESEBACK. 

against  the  butting  cliffs  on  the  other.  This  offers  a  great 
facilil-y  to  irrigation  ;  and  though  not  a  single  irrigation 
ditch  exists  in  all  the  valley,  there  is  not  one  foot  of  it 
that  might  not  be  irrigated  at  trifling  cost.  I  am  bound 
to  think,  in  view  of  the  intelligent  people  who  inhabit  the 
vale,  that  they  do  not  irrigate  because  it  is  unnecessary  ; 
and  yet  I  know  that,  let  their  crops  be  ever  so  well  with- 
out it,  they  would  be  ever  so  much  better  with  it.  The 
noble  soil, being  fed  with  all  the  moisture  it  wants,  would 
repay  the  kind  treatment  with  crops  of  such  luxuriance 
that  the  owner  and  the  passer-by  would  be  filled  with  as- 
tonishment and  admiration.  A  mere  rough  dam  of  stone 
here  and  there  would  do  the  job. 

This  river  reminds  me,  in  its  vale  and  the  lofty,rolling 
country  that  looks  upon  it,  very  much  of  the  Mohawk  in 
the  State  of  New  York  ;  a  river  that  rolls  through  the 
mightiest  community  in  America  ;  yet  the  San  Marcos  far 
surpasses  it  in  width  and  fertility  of  valley,  as  well  as  the 
sparkling  beauty  of  its  waters.  Suppose  the  seasons  of  the 
Mokawk  were  as  capricious  as  the  seasons  of  the  San  Mar- 
cos are,  or  have  been  reputed  to  be  ;  myriads  of  irrigation 
ditches  would  checker  its  valley,  and  its  current  would  be 
checked  every  half  hour  with  dams,  The  Mohawk  would 
bloom  infinitely  beyond  what  it  blooms  now  ;  but  bloom  it 
never  so  richly,  it  would  be  as  nothing  to  the  bloom  of  the 
San  Marcos  with  the  same  treatment.  That  river  now 
supports  thousands  of  factories  and  hundreds  qf  beautiful 
cities.  The  San  Marcos  could  beat  it  ten  to  one,  and  give 
it  half-dozen  to  one  in  the  game.  If  I  could  look  forward 
and  see  one  hundred  years  hence,  I  would  see  the  San 
Marcos  far  greater  than  the  Mohawk  now  is.  Perhaps 
this  may  be  much  sooner  than  a  hundred  years.  If  spirits 
may  revisit  the  glimpses  of  the  moon,  this  is  one  spot  I 
surely  shall  revisit. 

I  rode  eight  or  ten  miles  up  the  eastern  bank,  the  more 


^55i^4S:3¥g()L'SAXD    MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.       97 

admiring,  as  I  advanced,  the  numerous  pretty  farms  by  the 
wayside  as  well  as  the  river  and  the  natural  scenery.  At 
last  I  forded  to  the  west  side  and  approached  a  thick  settle- 
ment of  farms  when  the  sun  was  low.  I  stopped  in  front 
of  the  most  spacious  dwelling,  and  asked  for  lodging  for 
the  night.  The  old  gentleman,  in  shirt-sleeves,  was  ad- 
justing his  roses  and  vines  in  the  yard.  He  did  not  reply 
instantly,  and  I  repeated  my  request.  He  looked  at  me 
and  said  :  ''Nix  fuste  !''  I  then  pointed  to  the  red,  low 
sun,  then  to  his  spacious  white  house,  and  tapping  my 
horse  on  the  neck,  pointed  also  to  his  spacious  stables  and 
barns.  He  shook  his  head,  and  again  said  :  ^'■' Nix  fuste." 
A  fair-haired  German  lassie  now  came  to  my  rescue  from 
the  house,  and  acted  as  my  interpreter.  The  old  gentle- 
man, I  could  perceive,  did  not  want  me  to  tarry,  but  I 
could  also  perceive  that  the  fair-haired  lassie  was  pleading 
for  me.  The  old  gentleman  relented,  after  surveying  me 
closely,  and  the  lassie  invited  me  to  dismount  and  go  in. 
My  horse  was  pleasantly  stored  away,  and  so  was  I.  The 
lassie  was  the  only  one  of  the  family  who  could  talk  Eng- 
lish, and  we  ran  on  greatly  before  the  old  folks  till  a  late 
hour.  They  had  not  long  been  in  the  country.  I  asked 
her  how  she  liked  the  San  Marcos  as  compared  with  the 
Faderland  ?  ^'  Oh,  beautiful !  "  said  she  ;  "  the  Khine  is 
good,  but  San  Marcos  is  better."  I  asked  her  how  she 
liked  the  American  boys,  as  compared  with  the  boys  of 
Faderland  ?  ''  Oh  they  are  good,"  said  she,  ^^and  I  do 
love  the  American  ladies."  And  so  do  I.  In  fact,  I  love 
all  ladies.  I  slept. 
5 


IX. 


Some  Eeflections. 

I  PAID  the  old  gentleman  his  fee  of  two  dollars,  and 
bade  him  and  his  fair-haired  lassie  good-bye  before  the 
sun  had  yet  looked  into  the  valley,  though  kissing  the  hills 
and  the  tips  of  the  forest  with  his  kisses.  I  mention  the 
old  gentleman's  fee  because  it  points  a  difference  in  the 
general  German  character  and  the  general  American  char- 
acter in  Texas.  The  traveller,  if  he  look  and  behave  like 
a  gentleman,  who  stops  with  an  American  by  the  wayside 
at  night,  will  usually  be  sent  on  his  way  the  next  morning 
rejoicing,  without  exaction  of  fee,  unless  he  happens  to 
stop  with  one  who  makes  a  practice  of  entertaining  stran- 
gers ;  then  he  will  be  charged  lightly,  and  sometimes 
heavily  enough.  I  presume  this  comes  less  from  hospi- 
tality than  pride,  and  the  dread  of  being  looked  upon  as  a 
tavern-keeper  ;  and  they  would  rather  have  less  money 
than  wound  the  one  or  incur  the  other.  The  German  on 
the  other  hand  does  not  bother  his  head  in  the  least  about 
pride  or  tavern-keepers  ;  his  chief  consideration  is  thrift, 
and  to  add  a  few  cents  to  his  treasury  in  an  honest  way. 
He  has  nothing  to  give  away,  of  his  abundance  or  little. 
What  he  eats  and  what  he  sleeps  on  cost  him  labor  and 
money,  and  he  will  share  none  of  these  with  strangers 
without  an  equivalent,  with  good,  profitable  interest  be- 
sides. Therefore  he  is  always  prosperous  and  on  gaining 
ground.  He  is  right,  and  I  applaud  him  for  it.  The 
American  does  not  watch  so  closely  the  chances  to  collect. 


TWO  THOUSAND   MILES   1:N'  TEXAS   ON^   HOllSEBACK.      90 

and  despises  driblets ;  therefore,  he  as  a  class  is  not  so 
prosperous.  I  think  my  entertainment  at  the  old  gentle- 
man's house  was  worth  two  dollars  to  me,  though  probably 
I  did  not  cost  him  ten  cents  ;  and  I  like  him  rather  the 
better  because  he  charged  it.  He  will  leave  his  children 
well  to  do  ;  and  if  they  have  brains,  and  I  am  sure  the 
fair-haired  lassie  has,  they  will  have  a  chance  to  employ 
and  enjoy  them,  to  their  own  and  their  neighbors'  profit. 
A  condition  which  compels  us  to  be  always  looking  out 
for  first  necessities,  is  destructive  to  intellect  and  civiliza- 
tion ;  and  many  a  bright  flower  has  blushed  and  died 
unseen  from  this  hard  necessity. 

And  yet  the  American  is  generally  thrifty  enough  to 
charge  a  wayfarer  who  does  not  look  like  a  gentleman,  if 
he  will  take  him  at  all ;  because  he  does  not  care  whether 
such  a  fellow  thinks  him  a  tavern-keeper  or  not,  and  is 
willing  to  take  all  he  has.  And  the  American  ladies,  when 
their  husbands  are  not  about,  will  invariably  stick  it  on 
heavily,  and  sometimes  cruelly.  While  travelling  through 
the  country,!  avoid  the  women  as  much  as  possible  when 
it  comes  to  settling  bills  ;  for  though  I  like  to  pay  my  way, 
I  detest  being  gouged.  I  think  if  the  husbands  would 
give  their  ladies  more  pocket  change,  they  would  not  act 
in  this  shameful  way.  It  is  carrying  good  sense  to  a 
shameful  extreme. 

SPECULATio:Nrs  about  Mesquite  Grass. 

As  I  ride  along,  the  country  is  very  similar  to  that  east 
of  the  San  Marcos,  save  that  the  prairie  is  not  so  elevated, 
the  undulations  more  gentle,  and  there  are  extensive 
table-lands,  as  level  as  a  parlor  floor,  and  more  gaudily 
dressed  in  natural  carpeting.  There  are  also  many  beau- 
tiful, isolated  groves  of  live-oak,  and  many  of  the  mes- 
quites  are  trees.  Farms  and  ranches  are  very  sparse — 
just  enough  to  give  the  country  the  appearance  of  not 


100     TWO   THOUSA^'D    MILES   i:!^  TEXAS   01^   HOESEBACK. 

being  totally  uninhabited.  At  noon  I  halted  on  a  table- 
land which  overlooks  a  wide  circuit,  tempted  thereto  by  the 
charming  prospect  and  the  exceedingly  abundant  grass,  on 
which  I  turned  my  horse  loose  with  his  hobbles  ;  I  meantime 
reclining  on  a  noble  couch,  of  just  that  degree  of  compact- 
ness with  softness  that  is  most  luxurious.  I  fancy  it  was 
on  some  ^uch  couch  as  this  that  Sire  Adam  and  Madam 
Eve  passed  the  nights,  though  I  dare  say  she  did  decorate 
it  with  ^^pansies,  daffodils  and  violets  blue." 

The  grass  here  and  all  over  this  extensive  prairie  is  the 
curly  mesquite.  There  are  several  varieties  of  mesquite 
grass  in  Texas,  inhabiting  various  localities,  best  suited 
to  their  various  natures.  They  are  all  rich  and  sweet,  but 
the  curly  mesquite,  as  I  have  said  before,  excels  them  all. 
So  excellent  is  it  that  horses  will  keep  as  sleek  as  moles  on 
it,  without  any  other  food  whatever,  and  sheep  will  liter- 
ally turn  to  animated  suet-balls.  One  may  ride  a  thou- 
sand miles  and  maintain  his  horse  in  superb  order  without 
visiting  a  corn -crib,'  simply  by  giving  him  two  hours  at 
noon  and  the  night  to  feed  in.  It  grows  in  tufts,  so  thick- 
ly spread  over  the  ground  as  to  form  a  perfect  carpeting, 
of  delicate,  tender  blades,  often  a  foot  or  more  in  length, 
usually  much  less,  but  so  curled  up  as  to  give  it  the  ap- 
pearance of  only  a  couple  of  inches.  In  the  spring  and 
summer  when  it  is  green,  nothing  can  be  richer  or  prettier 
than  this  carpeting.  It  has  the  singular  property  of 
*^  curing  "  itself  where  it  grows,  and  in  the  dead  of  winter, 
when  apparently  quite  dead,  it  is  richest  and  sweetest. 
It  is  then  that  animals  like  it  best  and  seek  it  most 
eagerly.  Cattle  do  not  like  it  so  much  as  horses  and 
sheep  ;  they,  from  the  structure  of  their  mouths,  pre- 
ferring the  tall,  coarser  grasses,  which  they  can  twist 
their  tongues  around  and  jerk  off.  Its  native  habitat  is 
the  elevated  prairie,  and  it  seldom  or  never  invades  the 
forests  or  timbered  bottoms.     It  gets  its  name  from  the 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   OX    HORSEBACK.     101 

fact  that  it  almost  invariably  accompanies  the  mesquite  tree 
or  chaparral.  They  seem  to  be  inseparable  companions. 
Where  it  possesses,  it  expels  all  other  grasses. 

This  grass  is  gradually  spreading  all  over  Western 
Texas.  Where  the  taller  and  ranker  grasses  are  tramped 
out  and  destroyed  by  the  innumerable  herds  of  cattle,  the 
curly  mesquite  immediately  appears,  and  permanently 
usurps  the  place.  Whole  counties,  which  a  few  years  ago 
had  little  or  none  of  it,  are  now  blessed  with  it  on  every  hill 
and  prairie.  It  is  tending  eastward  as  well  as  all  over  the 
West,  and  the  time  will  doubtless  come  when  even  the 
Houston  Prairie  will  be  adorned  and  further  enriched  by  it. 
The  tendency  of  the  tall  and  rank  grasses  to  die  out  and 
be  superceded  by  the  curly  mesquite,  when  the  country  be- 
comes comparatively  populous,  causes  me  to  think  that  the 
great  cattle-growing  district  must  gradually  tend  westward 
into  the  vast  region  beyond  San  Antonio.  Indeed,  this 
tendency  is  now  at  work,  for  herds  of  cattle  are  continually 
driven,  even  from  this  section,  into  that  wild  region. 
Sheep,  horses  and  farms  will  occupy  the  ranges  from  which 
the  cattle  have  been  driven  ;  and  wealth  and  civilization 
will  be  increased.  But  I  do  not  mean  to  say  that  even 
then  this  part  of  Texas  will  not  be  a  better  cattle  region 
than  any  other  part  of  the  United  States  outside  of  Texas; 
for  the  bottoms  and  the  woodlands  will  still  furnish  ample 
provision  for  hundreds  of  thousands  of  cattle,  and  even  if 
these  fail, there  is  no  end  to  the  capacity  of  this  country  to 
produce  corn  and  the  cereal  grasses  to  keep  them  fat. 

The  Guadulupe. 

I  had  ridden  but  a  short  distance  from  my  couch  on 
the  table-land,  when  another  glorious  scene  burst  upon  me. 
It  was  a  great  valley,  sleeping  in  the  hazy  distance,  and 
reaching  out  of  sight  north  and  south.  To  the  westward 
it  seemed  to  have  no  limit,  but  rolled  away  like  a  great 


102     TWO   THOUSAND    MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK. 

ocean.  A  dark  line  of  forest  followed  its  course,  but 
occupied  only  the  centre  of  the  yalley.  At  distant  intervals, 
through  openings  in  the  forest,  I  could  see  a  river  flashing 
in  the  sunlight.  The  green  of  the  valley  was  often  re- 
lieved by  black  fields  of  newly  plowed  earth,  and  clusters 
of  buildings  were  numerous.  It  was  not  long  before 
I  rode  into  the  valley  and  stood  upon  the  banks  of  the 
Guadalupe. 

I  went  quite  into  raptures  over  the  San  Marcos,  and  I 
should  go  into  much  greater  raptures  here,  for  the  Guadu- 
lupe  is  simply  an  unabridged  edition  of  the  San  Marcos, 
carrying  about  three  or  four  times  its  bulk  of  water.  It  is 
in  all  other  respects  the  same  :  the  same  limpidity  ;  the  same 
deep  and  silent  pools,  and  the  same  sparkling  rapids.  The 
valley  is  wider,  and  of  the  same  fertility.  This  river  is  three 
or  four  hundred  miles  long,  and  from  its  source  to  its  mouth 
sweeps  through  a  terrestrial  paradise — a  country  that  has 
not  its  match  except  in  Texas,  for  beauty  and  sweet  amen- 
ity of  scenery.  Half  its  course  is  among  mountains,  then 
rolling  uplands,  and  then  the  level  plains  upon  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico,  and  everywhere,  except  in  the  latter,  its  wide  val- 
leys are  projected  far  below  the  general  surface. 

I  crossed  the  river  on  a  ferry  and  rode  two  hours  along 
its  bank,  at  no  time,  I  think,  out  of  sight  of  plantations 
and  farms.  Cedar  abounds  in  the  locality,  for  very  many 
of  the  fences  are  constructed  wholly  of  it. 


DIVISION  II. 


New  Bkaujstfels. 

I  ARRIVED  at  this  place  in  the  night,  and  slept  soundly 
— not  the  heavy  sleep  of  fatigue,  but  the  refreshing 
slumber  that  follows  a  day  of  pleasant  activity,  in  which 
the  faculties  of  mind  and  body  have  alike  been  engaged. 

I  arose  before  the  san  and  walked  on  a  tour  of  observa- 
tion. I  seemed  to  have  been  transported  over  seas  in  my 
sleep,  and  to  have  awaked  in  a  strange  land.  All  the  faces 
I  saw  were  foreign,  and  I  heard  nothing  but  a  foreign  lan- 
guage. The  signs  over  the  stores  were  foreign,  and  the 
farmers  that  thronged  the  streets  with  their  wagons,  were 
all  foreign,  and  spoke  to  their  teams  in  a  foreign  tongue. 
Here  is  a  city  of  six  or  seven  thousand  people,  so  nearly  all 
German  that  the  exceptions  are  rare  and  singular.  It 
was  founded  by  a  romantic  German  nobleman,  the  Count 
de  Braunfels,  in  1842,  who  here  established  a  colony  of 
his  friends,  which  grew  and  grew,  until  the  present  pros- 
perous city  and  community  are  the  result.  When  Texas 
became  a  part  of  the  Great  Republic,  he  returned  to  Ger- 
many, but  his  followers  remained,  smitten  with  the  love  of 
the  beautiful  and  attractive  land.  The  romantic  castle 
in  which  he  dwelt,  apart  from  his  followers,  still  looks  from 
an  eminence  upon  the  city — itself  hardly  changed,  but  how 
changed  the  place  upon  which  it  looks  !  Then  a  straggling 
cluster  of  gardens  and  little  farms — now  a  bustling  mart 


104    TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   11^   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK. 

for  a  populous  region  around  it,  filled  with  rich  merchants 
and  manufacturers,  editors,  scientists  and  poets  !  * 

It  is  not  probable  that  the  romantic  Braunfels  thought 
or  dreamed  to  what  the  seed  that  he  had  planted  would 
expand.  Perhaps  it  was  eccentricity  and  the  love  of  ad- 
venture and  novelty  that  drew  him  hither  ;  and  so  these 
were  gratified,  he  thought  httle  beyond.  But  I  regard  this 
as  having  greater  possibilities  and  probabilities  than  any 
place  in  Texas,  except  Houston  and  Galveston.  The  future 
is  pregnant  of  her.  Nature  seems  to  have  shaped  the  lo- 
cality with  the  design  that  it  should  be  no  humble  spot ;  for 
she  has  poured  out  her  favors  from  a  too  abundant  horn. 
If  Houston  and  Galveston  may  be  the  Liverpool  and  Lon- 
don of  Texas,  here  she  has  intended  to  erect  her  Manches- 
ter, with  industries  less  gigantic,  but  infinitely  more  varied. 
Here  is  a  river  with  water  absolutely  as  clear  and  brilliant 
as  a  diamond,  falling  forty-two  feet  in  its  three  miles  sweep 
about  the  town,  with  volume  a  hundred  feet  in  breadth. 
Here  is  power  more  than  enough  for  all  the  wheels  of 
Manchester,  and  may  by  art  be  indefinitely  increased. 
The  manufacturer  may  look,  from  the  upper  stories  of  his 
mills,  upon  fields  snow-white  with  cotton  in  its  season,  which 
the  planter  will  deliver  to  him  without  freight  and  the 
burdens  of  the  middle-man.  He  may  look  upon  field  after 
field  golden  with  shafts  of  the  ripened  wheat,  the  best  in 
the  world  for  transportation  in  flour  over  the  southern 
seas.  From  the  same  window  he  may  behold,  in  the  dis- 
tance, herds  of  sheep  covering  the  hills  or  cropping  the 
sweet  herbage  of  the  valleys,  offering  fleeces  as  fine  as  those 
from  Saxony  or  Spain.  He  may  behold  cattle  on  a  thou- 
sand hills  ;  and  sweeping  away  into  the  blue  distance,  he 
sees  forests  on  every  hand,  rich  in  timber  for  manufacture 

*  The  writer  is  thinking  of  Mr.  Lindhiraer,  ]ong  the  editor  of  the  New 
Braunfels  Zeitung— an  accomplished  writer  and  sweet  poet  in  his  own  tongue, 
and  an  enthusiastic  botanist.  He  has  done  more  for  the  Texas  Flora  than  any 
one  else,  and  many  of  its  prettiest  gems  bear  his  name. 


TWO   THOUSAKD   MILES   IN   TEXAS   O:^-   HORSEBACK.     105 

and  fuel.  Thus,  the  manufacturer  of  cotton  and  woolen 
goods  ;  he  who  fills  argosies  of  flour  for  foreign  lands,  and 
he  who  works  in  leather  and  wood— all  have  before  them 
here,  stores  of  the  raw  material  which  are  inexhaustible, 
and  an  empire  around  them  eager  to  absorb  the  products 
of  their  skill.  -In  addition  to  all  of  these,  is  a  climate  so 
pure  and  healthful  that  it  is  positively  delicious  :  airs  that 
have  gone  forth  with  all  of  Nature's  blessings,  not  only  to 
preserve  but  bestow  health  ;  a  climate  rarely  cold  and 
never  sultry.  The  city  sits  on  an  elevation  above  all  the 
region  south,  and  the  splendid  Gulf  breezes  strike  her  full 
in  the  face.  The  artisans  may  labor  summer  and  winter 
with  open  door  and  window,  and  drink  health  while  they 
work.  With  all  of  this  and  these,  and  especially  the  great, 
clamorous  empire  around  her,  how  can  the  colony  of  the 
romantic  Braunfels  refuse  to  be  great,  and  thus  cross 
Nature  ?  How  can  she  decline  to  be  the  Manchester  of 
Texas  ?  * 

In  planting  the  thrifty  and  ingenious  German  here, 
Fortune  played  lieutenant  to  Nature,  in  assisting  her 
plans.  Braunfels  is  backed  by  that  great  people  at  home, 
for  upon  it  she  can  draw  for  capital,  labor  and  skill  ad 
libitum. 

Already  she  treads  the  path  of  her  destiny.  Here  is 
a  woolen  mill  whose  cassimers  and  blankets  are  sold  all 
over  the  west,  and  recently  they  have  invaded  Broadway 
with  success.  Uncle  Sam  buys  them  for  his  Boys  in  Blue. 
Here  are  flouring  mills,  with  capacity  above  the  local  de- 
mands, and  the  Braunfels  saddles  have  grown  famous. 
The  vaquero,  who  rides  like  a  Comanche,  is  not  happy 
without  a  Braunfels  ^^tree."  And  this  is  but  the  be- 
ginning. 

The  city  is  built  of  limestone  and  cedar,  and  to  add 

*  The  exceeding,  sparkling  purity  of  the  Comal  water  makes  it  unequalled  for 
the  calico  and  paper  manufacturer. 

5* 


106     TWO  THOUSAND   MILES   IK   TEXAS   01^   HORSEBACK. 

that  it  is  neat  and  comely  would  be  unnecessary  after 
mentioning  its  German  people.  The  Germans  have  es- 
tablished many  noble  communities  in  Texas,  but  this  is 
the  crown  of  them  all.  It  grows  apace,  but  when  it  has  a 
railroad,  it  will  step  forth  with  the  tread  of  a  giant.  Want 
of  cheap  and  rapid  communication  with*  other  communi- 
ties is  all  that  retards  it. 

Westward  and  Poesy. 

After  breakfast — at  which  native  wine,  in  place  of  cof- 
fee, was  offered  me,  if  I  preferred  it,  by  the  host  from  the 
Ehine — I  called  to  see  the  livery-man  and  charged  him  to 
stuff  my  horse  well  until  I  should  return  ;  and  then  leap- 
ing into  an  open  carriage,  drove  into  the  west. 

What  a  beautiful,  picturesque  country  is  this  about 
Braunfels  !  And  I  cannot  help  admiring  the  exquisite  taste 
of  the  romantic  German  nobleman,  who  preferred  it  above 
all  other  in  its  native  beauty  !  To  the  north  the  Creta- 
ceous hills  lift  their  solid  front,  like  a  great  rampart, 
trending  to  the  west,  and  on  a  spur  of  this  formation 
Braunfels  sits  and  looks  over  all  the  region  except  the 
frowning  rampart.  To  the  east  lie  the  forests  of  the  great 
Guadalupe  valley,  eight  or  ten  miles  across  ;*  to  the  south 
and  west  the  prairie  rolls  in  undulations  and  swells  of  the 
smoothest  outlines,  adorned  here  and  there  with  evergreen 
groves  of  live-oak.  It  is  all  rich — a  black,  oily  soil,  on 
which  the  fruits  of  the  temperates,  and  cotton  and  the 
cereals  flourish  side  by  side.  Farms  occupy  indiscrimi- 
nately the  winding  vales,  the  undulations,  the  broad  table- 
lands, and  even  climb  over  the  lofty  tumuli.  It  is,  indeed, 
^*a  lovely  rural  scene  of  various  view,"  so  that  I  found 
snatches  of  pastoral  verse  continually  running  through  my 
mind. 

*  The  country  between  the  Guadalupe  and  Comal  is  really  one  continuous 
valley.    After  the  streams  have  united,  the  valley  is  narrower. 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   Il^T   TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK.      107 

"Delightful  Wyoming  !  beneath  thy  skies, 

The  happy  shepherd  swains  had  nought  to  do 

But  feed  their  flocks  on  green  declivities, 

Or  skim  perchance  thy  lake  with  light  canoe, 

From  morn  till  evening's  sweeter  pastime  grew, 

With  timbrel,  when  beneath  the  forest  brown, 

Thy  lovely  maidens  would  the  dance  renew ; 

And  a5'e  those  sunny  mountains,  half  way  down, 
Would  echo  flageolet  from  some  romantic  town. 

*'  Then  where  of  Indian  hills  the  daylight  takes 

His  leave,  how  might  you  the  flamingo  see 

Disporting  like  a  meteor  on  the  lakes — 

And  plaj'^ful  squirrel  on  his  nut-grown  tree  : 

And  every  sound  of  life  was  full  of  glee. 

From  merry  mock-birds'  song,  or  hum  of  men  ; 

While  hearkening,  fearing  nought  of  revelry, 

The  wild  deer  arched  his  neck  from  glades,  and  then, 
Unhunted,  sought  his  woods  and  wilderness  again." 

Had  Campbell  written  from  this  spot  he  could  not  have 
given  a  more  accurate  description  of  the  scenes  around 
Braunfels.  The  ^^ happy  shepherd  swains" — the  ^*^ flocks 
on  green  declivities" — ^^  the  forests  brown,"  the  ^^  lovely 
maidens"  and  ''the  sunny  mountains" — the  ''romantic 
town  " — are  all  accurate  to  the  life.  'Tis  true  I  see  not 
the  "lake"  and  the  "light  canoe  ;"  but  not  far  roll  the 
Comal  and  the  Guadalupe,  and  who  shall  say  that  the 
light  canoe  is  not  skimming  over  their  diamond  waters  ? 

The  "  flamingo  I "  Here  he  is  in  troops  and  squadrons, 
marching  over  the  prairie,  and  occasionally  lifting  his 
wings  for  a  short  flight;  here  "the  playful  squirrel  on  his 
nut-grown  tree" — the  pecan;  the  "merry  mock-bird" 
pours  his  melody  from  every  tree ;  here  the  "  wild  deer 
unhunted ;  "  here  his  "  woods  and  wilderness  " — 

*'  And  every  sound  of  life  is  full  of  glee." 

The  poet  continues  in  the  next  verse  : 

"  And  scarce  had  Wyoming  of  war  and  crime 
Heard,  but  in  transatlantic  story  rung ; 
For  Iwre  the  exile  met  from  every  clime, 
And  spake  in  friendship  every  distant  tongue  ; 
Men  from  the  blood  of  warring  Europe  sprung, 


108     TWO   THOUSAKD   MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON    HORSEBACK. 

Were  but  divided  by  the  running  brook ; 

And  happy  where  no  Rhenish  trumpet  sung, 

On  plains  no  sighing  mire's  volcano  shook, 

The  blue-eyed  German  changed  his  sword  to  pruning-hook." 

Literal  to  the  life — save  the  ^^war"  only  ^^  in  transat- 
lantic story  rung  ;  "  for  most  of  the  dwellers  in  Braunfels 
and  around  it,  saw  our  own  great  war,  and  many  of  them 
participated  in  its  thunder  and  carnage — a  war  the  most 
tremendous  in  the  world's  annals,  and  which  none  could 
have  fought  but  Americans  enraged  at  each  other. 

But  to  that  last  verse  of  Campbell.  When  I  repeated 
it  in  my  mind,  it  seemed  unmistakable  that  his  spirit,  at 
least,  hovered  over  these  scenes  when  he  wrote  : 

"  Here  the  exile  met  from  every  clime 
And  spake  in  friendship  every  distant  tongue." 

For  here  is  the  Frenchman,  the  Pole,  the  ''  free  Switzer," 
the  Englishman,  the  Spaniard,  as  well  as  the  American 
and  German.  And  the  blue-eyed  German  changing  his 
6 word  into  pruning-hook,  caps  the  climax  of  the  descrip- 
tion. Truly,  genius,  like  omnipresence,  pervades  every- 
thing !  Campbell  and  Braunfels  will  hereafter  dwell  in 
my  mind  together. 


two  thotjsakd  miles  in  texas  on  horseback.    109 

My  Cibolo. 

Passed  the  Cibolo — a  river  of  great  valley,  prodigious 
channel,  and  no  water.  Into  its  banks  the  mighty  Colo- 
rado would  lit  comfortably,  and  yet  Cibolo  here  runs  not  a 
drop,  but  glares  upon  you  with  a  rugged,  arid,  stony  bot- 
tom. It  is  a  desert  in  an  oasis,  its  borders  fringed  with 
fertility  and  beauty.  The  lilies  bend  over  from  the  edge 
of  the  oasis  and  look  into  the  abhorrent  desert  below, 
and  so  do  the  willows.  What  a  strange  freak  !  This  is  the 
death,  the  skeleton,  the  ghost  of  a  river  :  nothing  left  but 
the  bleached  and  griixning  bones.  Where  has  this  river 
gone  to  ?  Is  it  the  Styx  below,  of  which  Homer  and  Vir- 
gil sang,  and  over  which  Charon  paddles  the  shivering 
souls  ?  Shadow  and  grim  desolation  of  a  river,  you  are 
indeed  a  perplexity  ! 

And  yet  there  is  water  after  all.  Below  me  I  perceive 
a  dark,  grizzly  pool,  which  Jehu  says  is  '*  deep  as  a  pit ;" 
and  above  me  I  perceive  another  through  the  glimpses  of 
the  overhanging  trees,  which  he  says  is  "  miles  long,  and 
can  float  a  man  of  war.'' 

^' And  does  this  thing  never  run  ?"  said  I. 

**  Like  an  ocean  turned  loose  ! "  said  he.  "  Once  I  had 
to  camp  out  on  yan  side  three  days  and  nights,  waiting  for 
it  to  run  down.     When  it  runs,  it  runs  !" 

"  And  when  it  stops  it  stops  ! "  said  I. 

^'It  does  for  a  fact,"  said  he  ;  ^^it  stops  months  at  a 
time,  and  has  been  known  to  stop  for  years.  And  it  is  a 
comical  river  anyhow.  Some  miles  above  here,  it  is  bold 
like  the  Comal ;  then  it  gets  sick  and  reels  and  staggers, 
and  little  by  little  disappears  under  ground  ;  and  then 
miles  below  here,  it  comes  out  a  big  river  again  and  hides 
no  more.  It  is  a  comical  river,  the  comicalest  lever  saw," 
added  he  with  a  laugh. 

Cibolo  means  buffalo,  but  I  perceive  no  buffaloes  here. 


110     TWO   THOUSAIS'D   MILES   IJ^  TEXAS   Oi^   HORSEBACK. 

At  the  village  of  Selma  ''  on  yan  side,"  we  halted  and  drank 
some  excellent  beer. 

CO]>fTI2^UATI02!^. 

A  lofty,  rolling  country,  consisting  of  great  rounded 
swells  after  swells,  like  immense  choppers  on  the  ocean 
after  a  roaring  storm.  No  timber  but  mesquite,  and 
mostly  chaparral,  except  in  the  green  vales,  where  labyrin- 
thine brooks  wander  and  the  live-oak  spreads  its  broad 
boughs.  The  winds  blow  without  rest.  Occasu)nally  the 
home  of  a  ranchero  is  seen  buried  in  the  deep  vales,  as  if 
shunning  human  society.  Yale  and  tumuli  are  dressed  in 
the  beautiful  mesquite  grass,  shoe-top  deep,  thicker  than 
hair  on  a  dog's  back ;  cattle,  horses,  sheep  and  goats  look 
saucy  from  excess  of  good  cheer.  Occasionally  a  flock  of 
a  thousand  of  these  latter  pass  the  road  before  us,  and 
look  extremely  saucy  and  independent  as  they  bite  off  a 
bough  and  walk  along.  Generally  a  young  Mexican  and  a 
dog  or  two  follow  these.  The  country  is  nearly  all  fer- 
tile. What  grand  crops  of  wheat,  barley  and  oats  might 
here  be  raised  !  But  live  stock  is  too  profitable,  and  the 
denizen  thinks  it  is  easier  work,  and  he  cares  nothing  for 
any  more  of  these  fruits  of  the  earth  than  he  and  his 
family  can  devour.  This  grand  country 
is  a  mine  untouched.  The  air  is  purity 
itself.  The  scenery  is  varied  and  lovely. 
On  the  top  of  one  of  these  immense 
tumuli,  it  is  quite  glorious  to  look  over 
this  great  rolling  ocean  of  green. 


Salado. 

To  use  the  language   of  my  Jehu, 
this  is  also  a  comical  stream.    If  I  should 
paint  a  portrait  of  it  in  map  style,  it 
etc.,  ad  infinitum,   would  be  as  here  presented. 


TWO   THOUSA]^D   MILES   li^T   TEXAS   0:N"   HORSEBACK.     Ill 

The  light  lines  denote  a  pretty,  babbling  creek,  and  the 
heavy  spaces,  deep  pools  of  bine,  alive  with  perch,  cat-fish, 
trout  and  snakes.  Indeed  this  alternation  of  purling 
brook  and  deej),  blue  pool,  is  characteristic  of  the  prairie 
streams  of  Texas.  Even  the  little  rill,  creeping  concealed 
under  the  tall  grass,  has  these  deep  pools  at  short  intervals, 
all  filled  with  sport  for  the  angler.  Though  the  stream 
may  often  cease  to  run,  under  the  withering  drought,  these 
pools  never  flag,  but  have  the  same  volume  of  sweet, clear 
water  at  all  seasons.  Does  not  this  look  like  Providential 
design  ?  What  hands  wrought  these  deep,  inexhaustible 
pools  of  pure,  sweet  water  ? 

The  Salado  sports  a  wide  valley,  winding  amid  the  over- 
looking tumuli  and  mesas,  from  which  the  rains  drift  into 
it  their  choicest  mineral  elements,  mixed  with  the  decaying 
grass  and  leaves  of  the  prairie.  The  soil  is  thus  charged 
with  calcareous  and  vegetable  matter,  and  is  a  black,  mellow 
loam  of  amazing  productiveness.  My  Jehu  said  that  in 
spring  time  he  could  actually  hear  the  crops  grow  as  he 
passed  them  on  the  road.  A  dense  forest  of  pecans,  oaks 
and  elms,  the  wild  grape  almost  uniting  them  in  one  great 
arbor,  conceals  both  stream  and  pool,  and  often  obtrudes 
on  the  valley  to  the  foot  of  the  graceful  swells.  This 
valley  is  well  settled,  and  the  appearance  of  the  buildings 
on  the  farms  and  haciendas,  denotes  a  people  prosperous 
and  quite  refined.  Their  houses  are  all  of  white  lime- 
stone, and  their  fences  invariably  cedar  or  stone. 

Salado  means  salty,  but  I  tasted  no  salt  in  its  sweet, 
pure  water. 

Across  the  Salado,  the  country  falls — that  is  to  say,  it 
does  not  tower  so  loftily  as  between  that  stream  and  the 
Cibolo  ;  still,  it  is  greatly  elevated.  The  tumuli  and  un- 
dulations roll  more  smoothly,  and  there  are  wide  spaces  of 
level  lands.  From  the  top  of  these  elevations,  it  is  a  sin- 
gular scene.     Here  rolls  a  chaparral  so  dense  that  a  horse- 


112     TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON    HORSEBACK. 

man  departing  from  the  road  is  immediately  hidden  from* 
sight.  It  extends  inimitably,  and.  every  green  bough  is 
waving  to  the  wind,  which  brings  to  my  ear  a  sound,  not 
unlike  that  of  seas,  continuous  and  indescribable.  The 
glorious  pea-green,  velvety  carpet  of  curly  mesquite,  looks 
as  chaste  as  untrodden  snow,  and  the  soil,  where  exposed, 
is  dark  and  rich. 

Chaparral  Thoughts. 

A  few  years  ago  this  was  a  vast,  rolling  prairie,  with  no 
growth  but  scattering  trees  of  mesquite  and  isolated  groves 
of  live-oak.  The  chaparral  has  now  possessed  every  foot, 
and  is  crowding  hither  and  thither.  It  forces  its  way  by 
overwhelming  numbers,  and  crushes,  by  smothering,  what- 
ever opposes  its  advance.  From  the  Kio  Grande  and  be- 
yond, it  has  pushed  its  way  in  one  grand  phalanx.  What 
is  its  purpose,  and  who  has  called  it  forth  to  this  conquest  ? 
These  great  armies  do  not  move  without  a  head. 

Many  of  the  cattle  men  look  upon  it  with  aversion  and 
curse  it,  in  spite  of  its  grateful  shade  and  abundant  beans. 
They  say  :  ^^  It  is  ruining  our  country  for  cattle.  We  can- 
not now  see  our  cattle  twenty  feet  where  we  could  formerly 
see  them  for  miles.  It  is  now  like  hunting  needles  in  hay- 
stacks ;  although  we  admit  that  the  grass  is  made  far  bet- 
ter than  ever."  Many  of  them  have  pulled  up  stakes  and 
departed  for  regions  where  the  chaparral  does  not  exist, 
probably, in  time,  to  be  driven  forth  again. 

But  I  regard  this  invasion  as  one  of  singular  beneficence, 
whose  commander  is  the  Great  Architect.  At  His  com- 
mand, the  chaparral  stepped  forth  to  conquer,  and  to  dis- 
pense blessings  as  it  conquers.  Already  it  has  wrought  a 
great  change  in  the  climate  of  Western  Texas,  and  that 
change  is  becoming  constantly  more  marked.  By  shading 
and  cooling  the  earth,  it  has  made  it  attractive  to  the  clouds, 


TWO  TH0USA:N"D   miles   IK   TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK.     113 

and  the  rains  come.  Until  late  years,  this  region  was  sub- 
ject to  prolonged  and  destructive  droughts,  in  which  crops 
died,  rivers  fainted  and  disappeared,  and  even  the  grass  on 
the  prairie  was  burnt  to  the  roots.  As  the  chaparral  ad- 
vanced, these  conditions  abated,  and  simultaneously  with 
its  spreading  over  a  great  scope  of  country,  they  ceased 
entirely,  and  nowhere  since  then  have  the  seasons  been 
more  equable  as  a  rule.  The  farmer  thanks  God  and  plows 
his  lands  in  the  confidence  of  abundant  crops,  but  does  not 
suspect  that  the  thorny  chaparral  is  God's  messenger  to 
announce  and  work  this  change. 

Can  this  connection  between  the  chaparral  and  the 
extinction  of  the  droughts  be  accidental  ?  Not  so.  It  is 
the  natural  and  inevitable  result  of  such  agency.  See 
how  the  enlightened  Khedive  has  converted  the  deserts  of 
Egypt  into  a  blooming  garden,  by  crowding  them  with 
living  trees  which  drew  the  clouds  !  Should  he  cover  the 
Great  Sahara  with  a  forest,  he  would  convert  that  dread 
desolation  into  a  garden  also.  Even  in  the  desert  it  rains 
in  the  forest-covered  oases. 

This  new  forest  came  unplanted  and  uninvited,  so  far 
as  man's  agency  is  concerned.  It  is  the  work  of  Him  that 
rules.  To  read  the  designs  and  plans  of  the  Great  Archi- 
tect is  not  mine  or  yours ;  but  that  the  chaparral  is  exe- 
cuting his  plans,  no  one  can  question.  It  seems  to  me  a 
building  of  this  mighty  Empire — "prepare  ye  the  way" — 
which  I  behold  so  grandly  beautiful  around  me  ;  whose 
airs,  if  it  is  not  sacrilege  to  say  so,  are  as  sweet  as  the  airs 
of  Heaven.  It  converts  Western  Texas  from  a  wilderness 
to  a  populous  hive  of  industry  ;  it  makes  her  the  noblest 
and  most  blessed  land  on  earth.  Thorny  Chaparral,  I 
touch  my  hat  to  you  as  the  messenger  of  Him  who  rules, 
and  loves,  and  works  !  You  are  the  messenger  to  an- 
nounce the  tread  of  the  coming  Giant ! 


11. 

Sak  Akton^io. 

FIVE  or  six  miles  through  the  ranks  of  the  great  in- 
vader, our  carriage  halted  on  a  lofty  eminence, from 
which  a  glorious  view  burst  upon  us.  It  is  San  Antonio, 
a  city  of  twenty  thousand  people — the  place  where  the 
famous  battle  of  the  Alamo  was  fought — where  Crockett 
fell.  It  sits  in  a  wide  and  deep  amphitheatre,  whose 
northern  wall  is  the  Cretaceous  mountains,  and  the 
rounded  tumuli  and  undulations  of  the  prairies  slope 
down  to  it  from  the  west  and  east.  Through  this  amphi- 
theatre meanders  a  river,  bending  hither  and  thither,  as  if 
it  desired  to  kiss  every  foot  of  ground,  whose  course  is 
marked  by  tall  timber.  Along  the  banks  of  this  river  and 
stretching  out  widely  over  the  amphitheatre,  nestles  the 
city,  half  concealed  in  the  wealth  of  green  foliage;  its 
white  stone  houses  glittering  like  glass  and  marble  in  the 
declining  sun,  and  contrasting  strikingly  with  the  wealth 
of  deep  green.  Tall  spires  and  stately  edifices  rise  here 
and  there  above  the  rest  and  the  green  foliage.  The  scene 
is  so  charming  that  I  feel  half  afraid  to  proceed,  lest  the 
charm  may  vanish  as  I  approach.  Involuntarily  I  thought 
of  Constantinople,  but  I  repulsed  the  thought.* 

It  was  night  when  we  stopped  in  front  of  a  fine  stone 
hotel,  where  Jehu  was  paid  off  and  dismissed. 

Does  it  come  up  to  the  rosy  picture  which  it  paints  of 

*  Famous  for  its  splendid  appearance  at  a  distance,  and  for  dogs  and  bones 
within. 


TWO  TEOUSAKD   MILES   li^"  TEXAS  ON   HORSEBACK.      115 

itself  on  tlie  eye  of  him  who  beholds  it  from  that  hill  ?  After 
two  days'  delay,  I  cannot  say  that  it  does  ;  and  yet  it  is  a 
weird  and  winning  place.  Two  rivers  wind  through  it,  San 
Antonio  and  San  Pedro — St.  Antony  and  St  Peter — both  of 
sky-blue  water,  and  hundreds  of  canals  unite  their  waters  ; 
so  that  there  is  hardly  a  street  which  has  not  its  running 
stream.  Shade  trees,  bananas,  fig-trees,  flowers  and  creep- 
ing vines  abound,  and  many  of  the  residences  are  almost 
completely  hidden  under  bowers.  In  spring,  summer  and 
autumn,  when  these  bowers  are  gaudy  with  myriads  of  va- 
riegated blooms  and  purple  grapes,  alive  with  humming 
birds,  and  the  breezes  laden  with  perfume  and  kept  cool  by 
the  running  streams  that  sparkle  as  they  run,  I  can  well  im- 
agine it  a  place  of  great  delight.  The  structures  are  nearly 
all  of  white  blocks  of  stone,  many  of  them  imposing  and 
some  palatial ;  but  too  frequently  the  unsightly  hovels,  the 
memorials  of  the  feeble  race  that  is  giving  place  to  the  strong 
one,  sit  side  by  side  with  these  splendid  structures,  and 
mar  the  scene.  There  are  three  large  public  squares,  and 
a  cathedral  as  large,  if  not  larger  than  any  in  the  United 
States  ;  but  the  streets  are  narrow  and  ill-paved,  and  the 
two  rivers  and  its  wealth  of  foliage  are  its  chief  glory  to 
the  eye.  These  rivers  leap  from  the  earth  in  gigantic 
fountains  ;  the  San  Pedro  from  two  in  the  city,  and  the 
San  Antonio  from  a  hundred,  two  miles  above  the  city. 
These  fountains  and  the  seats  of  them  are  all  a  glory. 
Those  of  San  Pedro  burst  up  in  a  noble  grove  of  elms,  the 
property  of  the  city,  supplied  with  rustic  chairs  and 
benches,  and  here,  almost  every  summer  evening,  the  city 
discharges  her  gay  throngs,  who  pass  the  hours  in  prom- 
enade or  the  waltz  and  quadrille.  Those  of  the  San  Anto- 
;nio  burst  forth  under  bowers  of  vine  and  in  nooks  that  are 
suggestive  of  fairies.  Labyrinthine  walks  lead  under 
bowers  from  nook  to  nook,  and  are  here  extremely  sugges- 
tive of  youthful  hearts  and  the  first  whisperings  of  love. 


116     TWO   THOUSAKB   MILES   12^   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK. 

I  dare  say  that  there  is  many  a  couple  in  San  Antonio,  and 
even  at  a  great  distance,  whose  first  vows  were  spoken 
along  these  labyrinthine  walks  and  in  these  nooks.  Above 
the  fountains  rise  the  majestic  Cretaceous  hills,  with  their 
green  slopes  and  forests  of  oak  and  cedar. 

Mixed. 

I  have  never  seen  a  population  so  mixed,  and  on  this 
point  I  will  match  San  Antonio  against  the  world,  giving 
all  other  places  a  big  start  in  the  game.  I  chatted  to-day 
with  a  stalwart  Bedouin  of  the  Desert,  a  bronzed  giant ; 
studied  the  physique  of  a  coal-black  Australian  ;  and  a 
Greek  from  the  Acropolis  quoted,  within  my  hearing, 
sonorous  verses  from  Homer,  at  the  fountains  of  the  San 
Pedro.  The  San  Antonians  say  that  there  are  people  here 
from  every  race  in*  the  world,  except  the  Lap  and  the  Es- 
quimaux. Of  the  twenty  thousand  population  they  assign 
one-third  to  the  Americans,  one-third  to  the  Germans 
and  Sclaves,  and  one-third  to  the  Mexicans  and  French, 
with  batches  to  every  other  race  under  the  sun,  except  the 
unappreciative  Lap  and  Esquimaux.  The  negro  is  here, 
but  they  allow  him  no  place  in  the  estimate.  This  is  a 
remarkable  filigree  work.  Some  writer  attributes  the  rest- 
less, undaunted  push  of  the  Americans  to  the  mingling  and 
effervescence  of  the  various  bloods  in  their  veins.  If  the 
theory  is  correct,  San  Antonio  should  be  the  epitome  of  all 
the  restless  energy  of  the  American  nation.  In  a  few  years 
its  youths  will  not  be  able  to  tell  what  blood  dominates  in 
their  veins.  The  young  San  Antonian  will  be  the  epitome 
of  all  the  races  of  the  world.  If  the  city  shall  not  then 
prove  itself  a  magazine  of  enterprise,  the  theory  of  the 
writer  just  mentioned  will  be  cruelly  exploded. 

Of  these  races  the  American  and  the  German  seem  to 
affiliate  and  coalesce  naturally,  while  the  Mexicans  gravi- 
tate mostly  toward  the  French  and  other  Latin  races.     I 


TWO   TH0USA:N"D    miles   in   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.      117 

could  not  hear  of  a  single  marriage  between  German  and 
Mexican,  and  such  instances  are  very  rare  between 
American  and  Mexican,  while  close  quarters  between  the 
latter  and  other  races  seem  quite  common. 

Society. 

There  is  much  of  it  that  is  excellent.  Indeed  this 
whole  region  seems  to  have  an  attractiveness  to  the 
better  class  of  people.  There  is  something  in  tlie  air  and 
scenery  that  is  congenial  to  these,  and  favorable  to  the 
development  of  intellectual  and  moral  refinement.  The 
people  drink  it  from  the  heavens  and  become  filled  with  it, 
as  Una  on  the  mossy  bank  was  by  the  sunbeam.  I  dare 
say  the  peculiar  meteorological  and  physical  features  of  his 
country  had  much  to  do  with  the  remarkably  refined  devel- 
opment of  the  ancient  Grecian  ;  and  his  land  is  a  Mecca 
to  people  of  that  class  yet,  though  in  ruins  and  but  the 
shadow  of  what  it  was.  It  seems  that  the  first  American 
settlers  of  San  Antonio  were  shoots  of  the  best  classes  of 
the  older  States,  and  their  families  have  been  continually 
recruited  from  the  same  class,  while  Germany  and  Spain 
have  freely  sent  their  contributions.  Its  population  is 
much  swelled  in  winter  by  well-to-do  people  from  the 
east,  seeking  a  genial  climate  ;  in  summer,  by  the  fam- 
ilies of  the  planters  and  others  from  the  alluvial 
**  bottoms,"  and  at  all  seasons  by  the  best  and  wealthiest 
people  of  Mexico,  whose  frequent  revolutions  have  driven 
them  into  temporary  exile.  Churches  and  schools  abound 
here.  I  doubt  if  there  is  a  city  on  the  continent  which 
can  show  a  more  varied  and  interesting  society  of  the  better 
class,  or  which  holds  a  larger  proportion  to  the  whole. 

The  Verge. — Whence  She  Prospers. 

This  city  sits  on  the  verge  of  civilization.  To  him 
who  enters  it  from  the   west,  it  opens  the  gate  to  the  bus- 


118     TWO  THOUSAND   MILES   IK   TEXAS   O:^  HORSEBACK. 

tling,  populous  American  world  ;  and  he  who  departs  from 
it  to  the  west,  enters  a  wilderness.  It  is  true  that  the 
daring  stock-man  has  pushed  his  wigwam  and  tent  a 
hundred  miles  further,  and  there  are  a  few  villages  scat- 
tered widely  apart,  but  it  is  a  wilderness  nevertheless,  tra- 
versed frequently  by  murderous  bands  of  savages,  and 
the  hiding-place  of  worse  bandits  from  every  country. 
Through  this  wilderness,  a  great  valley  of  thickets,  you 
may  penetrate  five  hundred  miles  to  the  Sierras  of  Mexico. 
Across  it  the  two  great  tides  of  American  civilization,  the 
Anglo-Saxon  and  the  Iberian,  stand  front  to  front,  the  one 
sullen  and  retreating,  and  the  other  aggressive  and  advan- 
cing. The  Anglo-Saxon  tide  has  pushed  its  avant-couriers 
to  the  banks  of  the  Rio  Grande,  on  the  other  side  of  which 
the  rear-guard  of  the  Iberian  stands  watching,  oppressively 
conscious  of  the  fate  that  awaits  him.  To  the  north-west 
and  south-west  it  is  equally  a  wilderness,  while  in  all 
other  directions  lies  a  great  territory  very  sparsely  settled. 
San  Antonio  then  is  a  great  torchlight  in  the  midst  of  a 
wilderness,  and  it  may  well  perplex  the  stranger  to  conceive 
whence  she  drew  her  irradiation  and  opulence,  and  how 
she  prospers. 

A  look  at  the  map  readily  solves  this  riddle  ;  for  though 
she  sits  in  a  wilderness,  and  on  the  edge  of  /^the  waste 
howling,"  yet  the  region  that  is  tributary  to  her  wealth  is 
enormously  vast ;  and  though  the  populations  are  sparse, 
yet  in  the  aggregate  they  are  large.  She  supplies  not  only 
all  Texas,  west  and  north  and  northwest  of  her,  with  all 
the  fabrics  her  people  consume,  and  all  the  delicacies  they 
enjoy,  but  she  reaches  out  her  arms  into  central  Mexico  and 
distant  Chihuahua,  seven  hundred  miles  away,  and  draws 
into  her  lap  a  flood  of  silver  and  gold.  She  receives  and  dis- 
tributes and  levies  contributions  upon  every  pound  of  wool, 
every  hide,  and  every  nugget  of  ore  that  is  raised,  grown  or 
produced  in  this  enormous  region.     Every  Mexican  bandit 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   11^   TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK.     119 

is  indebted  fco  her  for  the  pistol,  blade  and  ammunition  at 
his  belt ;  every  ranchero  for  the  saddle  on  which  he  rides, 
for  the  covering  on  his  body,  and  the  dram  with  which  he 
clears  his  throat  in  the  morning ;  every  damsel  for  her 
silks  and  ribbons  and  slippers,  her  cologne  and  pomatums, 
and  the  pen,  ink  and  paper  with  which  she  despatches  her 
love  missives.  All  of  this  makes  a  peculiar  and  gigantic 
trade,  in  which  the  profits  are  large,  and  certain  ;  and  when 
we  take  it  well  in  mind,  we  cease  to  wonder  at  this  torch- 
light in  the  wilderness — her  splendid  emporiums  and  pal- 
atial homes.  Through  this  traffic  many  of  her  citizens 
have  built  large  wealth,  beginning  on  nearly  nothing. 

Her  Past. 

San  Antonio  is  one  of  the  most  venerable  of  American 
things.  She  was  founded  in  1692  by  Franciscan  friars 
from  France,  who  here  established  themselves  to  introduce 
civilization  and  Christianity  among  the  Indians — a  work  in 
which  they  seem  to  have  had  but  indifferent  success. 
Their  great  churches  or  '^  missions,"  filled  with  dormitories, 
still  stand,  in  an  excellent  state  of  preservation,  and  the 
candles  lighted  on  their  altars  at  that  day,  are  still  burn- 
ing, and  have  never  been  allowed  to  be  extinguished.  In 
these  churches  there  is  some  fine  statuary  and  ornamental 
work,  showing  that  even  in  that  remote  day,  artists  of  no 
small  ability  trod  the  soil  of  San  Antonio.  The  churches 
were  all  built  in  enclosures  of  high,  strong  wall,  with  em- 
brasures for  defensive  weapons.  They  are  below  San  An- 
tonio,  on  either  side  of  the  river,  at  intervals  of  a  mile  or  so 
apart,  and  their  names  are  La  Purissima  Concepcion,  La 
Espada,  San  Jose,  and  San  Juan,  Their  number  and  size 
indicate  that  the  population  about  San  Antonio  in  those  re- 
mote days,  must  have  been  large — perhaps  not  less  than  it  is 
now.  If  tlie  records  of  these  old  monks  could  be  obtained 
p-nd  t;'anslated,  they  would  make  a  most  interesting  chap- 


120     TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IIST  TEXAS   OK   HOESEBACK. 

ter  in  the  history  of  Texas.  It  is  little  credit  to  the 
Legislature  of  the  State  that  no  step  in  this  direction  has 
ever  been  taken. 

In  1762,  when  Texas  passed  from  the  possession  of 
France  to  that  of  Spain,  San  Antonio  had  grown  in  seventy 
years  to  a  mixed  population  of  two  thousand  French, 
Spaniards  and  Indians.  Thus  she  began  the  mingling 
process  at  a  remote  day.  Truly,  "  the  way  the  twig  is  in- 
clined the  tree  will  grow  ! "  At  that  time  it  was  stated  that 
the  twenty  head  of  cattle  brought  from  France  by  the 
monks  had  increased  to  one  hundred  thousand  ;  and  these 
were  the  ancestors  of  the  Texas  cattle.  At  this  date  they 
have  increased  to  several  millions. 

Battle-Scarred. 

In  the  meantime  furious  battles  had  been  fought  be- 
tween the  Europeans  and  the  Indians  for  the  possession  of 
the  beautiful  country.  The  name — Espada — the  "  sword  " 
— of  one  of  the  Missions,  and  their  defensive  walls  and 
embrasures  show  that  the  olive  branch  did  not  exclusively 
reign  over  the  domicils  of  the  monks.  They  probably  bore 
the  cross  in  one  hand  and  the  arquebus  in  the  other. 

After  the  junction  with  Spain  and  Mexico,  war  grew 
hotter  and  fiercer,  and  San  Antonio  was  the  centre  of  it. 
The  Texans,  now  mostly  Mexicans,  raised  the  standard  of 
revolt  against  Spain,  and  after  a  severe  struggle  captured 
San  Antonio  on  the  4th  of  March,  1813.  On  the  4th  of 
June  following,  eight  thousand  Spaniards  and  Mexicans 
attempted  to  retake  the  city,  but  were  driven  olf  with  ter- 
rible slaughter.  On  the  18th  of  August,  the  Spaniards 
again  advanced  ;  the  revolutionists  marched  out  on  the 
open  plain  to  meet  them  ;  were  defeated  ;  some  six  hun- 
dred adventurous  Americans  among  them  were  slain  or 
captured,  and  the  city  was  again  in  the  hands  of  the  Span- 
iards.   Other  Mexican  States  soon  followed  the  example  of 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   li^  TEXAS   Oi^"   HORSEBACK.     121 

Texas  in  revolt,  and  the  Spaniards  were  at  last  driven  out 
of  all  Mexico  and  Texas. 

The  Texans — now  mostly  Americans — soon  became  rest- 
less, and  revolted  against  Mexico.  October  24,  1834,  a 
fierce  battle  was.  fought  around  Purissima  Concepcion,  in 
which  the  Americans  under  Bowie  and  Travis  defeated 
the  Mexicans  and  captured  their  cannons.  In  December, 
after  a  four  days'  fight  in  the  streets  of  the  city,  the  Mexi- 
cans were  driven  out  and  the  Americans  took  possession. 
This  was  a  terrible  struggle,  in  which  the  city  was  well 
nigh  battered  to  pieces,  and  was  a  fit  prelude  to  the  bat- 
tle of 

The  Alamo, 

probably  the  most  remarkable  battle  ever  fought,  which 
took  place  in  February  and  March  following.  One  hun- 
dred and  eighty  Americans,  under  Bowie  and  Travis,  re- 
sisted, during  thirteen  days,  six  thousand  Mexicans  under 
Santa  Anna,  and  fought  until  not  one  of  their  number  was 
left  to  tell  the  tale.  Here  the  renowned^David  Crockett 
fell  fighting  as  a  private  soldier,  apart  from  his  companions, 
leaving  nine  dead  Mexicans,  as  the  story  says,  piled  around 
his  dead  body.  The  State  government  has  erected  a 
monument  to  these  stubborn  heroes,  on  the  Capitol  grounds 
at  Austin,  on  which  their  names  are  recorded  with  this  in- 
scription, which  has  always  seemed  to  me  the  most  beauti- 
ful in  monumental  literature  : 

"  Thermopylae  had  her  messengers  of  defeat  :  the 
Alamo  had  none." 

The  Mexicans  gathered  their  dead  bodies  and  burned 
them  on  the  sacred  ground  where  they  fell. 

Wliy  did  not  these  stubborn  heroes  retreat,  seeing 
themselves  so  hopelessly  over-numbered  ?  Had  they  done 
so,  they  would  have  saved  the  slaughter  of  five  hundred 
heroes  as  brave  as  themselves — the  commands  of  Fannin 
and  Ward,  who  were  overpowered  and  captured  a  few  days 
6 


122     TWO   THOUSAiq^D   MILES   IN   TEXAS   OJS^   HORSEiJACK. 

afterward,  and  mercilessly  shot  down  in  cold  blood,  by 
Santa  Anna's  order,  after  they  had  surrendered.  While 
applauding  his  matchless  courage,  history  will  probably 
condemn  Travis  for  the  useless  slaughter  of  his  brave 
band,  whose  devotion  and  heroism  anything  told  in  Gre- 
cian or  Koman  story  can  hardly  equal. 

The  old  church  or  chapel  of  the  Alamo,  built  in  1774, 
in  and  around  which  these  terrible  scenes  occurred,  still 
stands,  though  the  wall  which  surrounded  it  has  long  since 
been  torn  away.  Let  it  remain  until  its  white  stones  have 
crumbled  into  dust!  The  citizens  of  San  Antonio  should 
adorn  that  plaza  with  monuments  to  Bowie,  Travis  and 
Crockett,  and  a  tablet  sacred  to  the  memory  of  those  who 
fell  witli  them. 

Thus  San  Antonio  has  more  history  than  any  place 
on  the  American  Continent.  If  told  by  some  fine  writer, 
it  would  live  and  charm  forever,  and  make  every  foot  of 
her  a  classic  ground. 

Her  Future. 

As  the  beautiful  wilderness  fills  with  people  and  be- 
comes the  seat  of  varied  industry,  she  must  needs  grow 
great.  It  will  be  impossible  to  dwarf  her  future,  unless 
she  be  unnaturally  supine.  The  great  region  in  which 
she  sits  mistress,  can  build  many  populous  cities.  Her 
two  rivers,  with  their  wealth  of  power,  invite  her  to  man- 
ufactures, and  it  is  singular  that  she  has  not  already  em- 
barked in  some  of  these  ;  in  particular,  that  she  does  not 
manufacture  leather  and  shoes  for  all  Texas,  since  the 
mesquite  and  sumach  offer  her  illimitable  resources  of 
tannin,  her  countless  herds  the  raw  material,  cheaper  than 
elsewhere  in  the  United  States,  and  the  Mexicans  offer 
cheap  and  quickly  taught  labor.  What  a  folly  to  ship  these 
hides  to  New  England,  and  ship  them  back  in  leather  and 


TWO  THOTrSAND   MILES   IK   TEXAS   ON   HOSSEBACK.     123 

shoes,  paying  freight  and  insurance  both  ways,  besides  the 
labor  and  profits  of  the  tanner  and  manufacturer  !  It  is 
this  folly  that  makes  a  people  poor  and  dependent.  When 
she  embarks  in  manufactures  as  well  as  commerce,  her 
prosperity  will  be  great. 


ni. 


The  Mexica^^s. 

I  WOULD  not  do  well  to  leave  San  Antonio  without 
speaking  of  these  people  and  their  quarters.  They 
dwell  principally  west  of  the  San  Pedro,  and  that  portion  of 
the  city  is  called  by  all  the  rest  of  the  inhabitants,  '^  Mex- 
ico," by  way  of  distinction  or  derision.  I  have  said  that 
the  houses  of  San  Antonio  were  all,  or  nearly  all,  built  of 
stone.  I  was  at  fault  in  this,  for  I  did  not  then  have 
"  Mexico"  in  my  mind.  Here  the  houses  are  of  straight 
cedar  posts,  stuck  upright  into  the  ground,  and  covered 
with  roofs  of  grass.  The  cracks  between  the  poles  are 
daubed  with  mud.  They  generally  have  but  one  room, 
and  very  rarely  more  than  two.  Some  of  them  have  chim- 
neys, but  most  do  not,  and  none,  I  believe,  have  floors. 
The  black  earth  is  beaten  hard  and  made  smooth  with 
grease,  and  this  is  all  the  floor  that  they  want.  Some  of 
the  most  pretentious  have  windows.  These  edifices  are 
cdlledijacels,  which,  I  suppose,  is  the  Aztec  for  ^^  palaces  ;" 
but  the  Americans  call  them  hay-ricks.  When  there  is 
not  a  chimney  to  these  palaces,  the  residents  cook  out  of 
doors  when  it  does  not  rain,  and  over  a  pan  full  of  coals 
in  the  house  when  it  does  rain.  Fire  about  these  palaces 
must  be  dangerous,  in  view  of  the  great  abundance  of 
straw,  and  yet  it  is  a  provokingly  rare  thing  that  one  be- 
comes ignited.  Their  beds  consist  of  a  well-dried  cow- 
skin  spread  out  on  the  ground  in  one  corner,  and  on  this 
they  pile  a  quantity  of  straw.     You  will  invariably  find. 


TWO   THOUSAND    MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.      125 

living  in  these  residences  with  the  rest  of  the  occupants,  a 
couple  or  two  of  black  dogs,  utterly  hairless,  and  the 
ugliest  things  in  the  world.  Their  being  hairless,  how- 
ever, is  a  great  advantage,  in  that  they  can  harbor  no  fleas. 
What  these  dogs  are  good  for,  I  could  not  possibly  learn, 
as  they  are  too  lazy  to  catch  rats,  and  they  certainly  could 
not  master  a  rabbit,  even  should  they  by  chance  catch  one. 
Yet  the  Mexicans  love  these  strange  creatures  with  a  ten- 
der affection,  and  I  have  seen  even  old  men  take  them  in 
their  arms  and  let  them  lick  their  lips. 

The  color  of  the  Mexicans  varies  from  that  of  new- 
tanned  leather  to  a  peculiar  reddish  black.  Their  hair  is 
coarse,  coal-black  and  straight  as  an  Indian's.  Their 
cheek-bones  and  noses  are  generally  prominent,  and  many 
of  the  latter  are  aquiline.  They  do  not  average  so  much 
in  size  as  the  Americans,  but  a  few  of  them  are  of  robust 
stature,  and  some  are  fat  to  obesity.  Their  shoulders  and 
chests  are  broader  than  the  Americans  in  proportion  to 
size,  indicating  strength  and  endurance.  They  are  always 
smoking  cigaritos,  both  male  and  female,  and  they  always 
puff  the  smoke  through  their  nostrils.  They  wear  broad- 
brimmed  woolen  hats,  of  a  grey  or  bluish  color,  and  many 
have  bands  coiled  about  them,  representing  snakes.  The 
number  of  these  snakes  is  said  to  indicate  the  rank  or  es- 
timation in  which  the  weuref  of  the  hat  is  held  :  one 
snake  indicating  a  gentleman,  two  snakes  a  more  advanced 
gentleman,  and  three  snakes  an  exalted  gentleman.  They 
seem  to  me  to  take  much  more  after  the  Indian  than  the 
Spaniard.  I  have  indeed  seen  scores  of  them  who  were  as 
much  like  the  Digger  as  possible. 

They  live  principally  on  hash  made  of  dried  beef  and 
rendered  fiercely, hot  with  red  pepper.  With  this  they  eat 
pods  of  red  pepper,  raw  onions,  and  cornbread  made  into 
crackers,  which  have  a  strong  taste  of  ley.  In  summer 
they  sometimes  appear  to  live  for  days  together  on  nothing 


126     TWO   THOUSAND    MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON    HORSEBACK. 

but  watermelons,  for  which  their  fondness  is  remarkable 
and  really  child-like  and  affecting.  They  seem  to  be  a 
free  and  easy  folk  and  apparently  enjoy  life  greatly.  They 
are,  under  all  circumstances,  exceedingly  polite,  and  no 
stranger  can  speak  to  them  without  being  pleasantly  im- 
pressed by  them.  Their  politeness  is  of  natural  growth, 
as  you  perceive  it  even  in  the  naked  children  who  run 
around  their  houses.  In  winter  they  wrap  themselves 
around  in  blankets  having  all  the  colors  of  the  rainbow. 
These  are  woven  by  their  women  ;  they  will  shed  water 
like  the  back  of  a  duck,  and  they  have  a  hole  in  the  mid- 
dle, through  which  the  wearers  protrude  their  heads,  so 
that  almost  the  entire  body  is  covered. 

Many  of  their  women  are  absolutely  pretty  in  spite  of 
their  dark  features.  They  have  not  the  angular  outlines 
of  the  men,  but  generally  a  rich  and  rather  voluptu- 
ous emhonpoint.  This  when  they  are  young,  for  as  they 
advance  in  life  they  grow  ugly.  The  Mexican  women 
have  a  singular  way  of  squatting  on  the  ground  in  groups 
and  circles,  about  the  doors  of  their  domicils,  where  they 
sometimes  remain  without  moving  out  of  their  tracks,  for 
hours.  I  suppose  they  contract  this  habit  from  the  fact  that 
chairs  are  an  article  of  furniture  rarely  found  in  their 
houses.  The  men  make  excellent  teamsters  and  herdsmen, 
and  the  women  are  said  to  make  very  docile  and  superior 
housewives.  Indeed,  I  think  that  the  Mexicans  need  only 
education  to  make  them  a  very  respectable  people.  They 
are  generally  very  ignorant,  and  the  women  know  nothing 
whatever  except  what  transpires  in  their  own  little  circle. 
ISTot  one  in  a  thousand,  even  of  those  who  have  lived 
longest  in  San  Antonio,  can  speak  one  word  of  English. 
They  are  the  most  devout  believers.  Every  day  precisely 
at  noon  the  great  Cathedral  bell  tolls  in  San  Antonio,  and 
every  Mexican  within  the  sound  of  it  immediately  takes 
off  his  hat  and  stands  bare-headed  until  it  ceases  tolling. 


TWO   THOUSAN'D   MILES   IIST   TEXAS   ON"   HORSEBACK.     127 

All  of  this  is  of  the  lower  classes  of  Mexicans,  or  those 
who  compose  about  ninety-nine  out  of  every  hundred  you 
meet ;  for  there  are  Mexicans  in  San  Antonio  of  pure  Cas- 
tilian  blood,  who  are  quite  as  white  as  the  Americans,  and 
are  a  fine-looking  and  elevated  race.  They  look  upon  the 
dark  Mexicans  with  contempt,  and  call  them  Peons  and 
Indians.  The  ladies  of  this  class  are  nearly  always  of 
wonderful  beauty,  and  they  and  their  musical  voices  are 
among  the  principal  attractions  of  the  wealthy  parlors  of 
San  Antonio. 

The  Mexicans  of  all  classes  seem  to  me  to  be  infatuated 
on  the  subject  of  dancing.  They  are  ready  to  dance  at 
all  hours,  at  all  seasons,  and  under  all  circumstances,  and 
they  perform  with  great  gracefulness  and  ease.  Perhaps 
there  is  no  people  in  the  world  of  whom  it  may  be  so  truly 
said  that  their  genius  lies  in  their  heels. 

To  Aems. 

Up  to  this  point  I  had  travelled  without  arms,  receiv- 
ing nothing  but  kindnesses  on  the  road.  Believing  I 
should  feel  better  hereafter  to  have  an  arsenal  about  me, 
I  purchased  a  six  teen-shooting  Henry  rifle,  two  of  Colt's 
navy  six-shooters,  and  a  quantity  of  ammunition.  Now, 
feeling  like  a  monitor  with  turrets,  I  leaped  on  the  stage- 
coach and  sped  away  to  New  Braunfels  and  slept. 


DIVISION  III. 


The  Texas  Poky. 

"T'TT'HEN  I  mounted  my  horse,  I  found  him  in  excel- 
VV  lent  condition  and  full  of  mettle.  He  is  of  the 
hardy  half-breed — the  product  of  an  American  stallion 
and  a  mustang  mare,  a  cross  which  produces  an  animal  of 
good  size,  and  unequalled  for  such  a  journey  as  this.  The 
pure  mustang,  or  Mexican  horse,  of  Texas,  is  a  small  crea- 
ture, hard-headed  and  self-willed,  tricky  and  treacherous, 
but  withal  a  wonder  of  endurance.  Give  him  a  chance 
to  engorge  himself  twice  in  twenty-four  hours  with  grass, 
and  he  will  endure  any  reasonable  amount  of  hard  riding 
without  complaint.  The  Texans  gauge  the  endurance  of  a 
mustang  by  his  capacity  to  hold  grass.  If  his  belly  be  un- 
usually large,  they  say  he  will  do  to  tie  to,  and  will  wear 
out  half  a  dozen  American  horses  on  a  rough  trip.  These 
little  shaggy,  unkempt  creatures,  will,  while  the  traveller  is 
sleeping,  crop  grass  all  night,  and  when  led  to  the  saddle 
in  the  morning,  they  have  stuffed  themselves  so  greedily 
that  their  sides  stick  out  ludicrously,  and  the  girth  will 
hardly  be  long  enough.  As  the  day  goes  on  the  girth 
loosens,  and  the  rider  will  have  to  dismount  before  noon  to 
tighten  it.  Kaised  on  the  grass,  they  want  no  other  food, 
and  frequently  it  is  a  hard  job  to  teach  them  to  eat  any- 
thing else.  Totally  unused  to  shoes,  their  hoofs  are  wellnigh 
as  tough  as  iron,  and  they  care  no  more  for  the  rocky  hills 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN^   TEXAS   0:N^    HORSEBACK.      129 

than  a  goat.  When  discontented  with  their  rider,  they  have 
an  ugly  habit  of  gathering  themselves  up  in  a  knot  and 
springing  perpendicularly  into  the  air,  coming  down  with 
a  terrible  jolt.  They  will  repeat  this  exploit  rapidly,  and 
he  must  be  a  good  horseman  who  will  not  be  dislodged. 
While  they  do  this,  they  frequently  let  fly  some  unearthly 
yells  or  bawls.  The  Texans  call  this  ^^  pitching,"  and  the 
young  stockmen  who  are  the  best  riders  in  the  world,  take 
delight  in  it.  I  have  seen  them  prick  their  mustangs  just 
for  the  fun  of  enjoying  a  good  pitch. 

The  Comal. 

The  Braunfelsians  say  that  this  is  the  most  beautiful 
river  in  the  world,  and  let  it  be  borne  in  mind  that  most 
of  those  who  say  so  have  seen  the  Ehine,  the  Rhone,  the 
Seine,  the  Guadalquivir,  and  the  other  famous  and 
beautiful  rivers  of  Europe.  I  too  have  seen  the  most 
famous  and  beautiful  rivers  of  America,  and  as  the  spark- 
ling Comal  dashes  by  me,  I  freely  offer  to  it  the  crown  of 
beauty.  If  not  the  stately  Venus,  yet  it  is  the  brightest, 
laughingest  nymph  of  them  all.  To  call  its  playful  waters 
crystal,  would  not  express  it :  they  flow  like  melted  dia- 
mond over  a  bottom  of  pearl.  So  limpid  are  they  that 
pools  ten  to  twenty  feet  deep  disclose  the  smallest  object 
at  the  bottom.  You  can  look  into  its  depths  and  see  the 
picture  of  yourself  as  distinctly  as  in  a  mirror.  Milton 
says  that  when  Eve  first  waked  into  existence,  she  found 
herself  sitting  by  a  pool,  and  leaning  over  to  drink,  sawthe 
image  of  herself  below,  and  loved  it  to  distraction,  till 
Adam  came.  I  sometimes  think  Milton  was  taught  the 
truth  by  inspiration,  and  if  what  he  says  of  this  be  true, 
it  must  have  been  in  the  Comal  that  she  saw  her  image, 
and  here  must  have  been  Eden  !  May  not  the  great  Cre- 
taceous wall  which  rises  above  me,  have  been  the  north 
wall  of  the  garden  ? 
6* 


130   TWO   THOUSAND    MILES   IN   TEXAS   OX   HORSEBACK. 

One  unused  to  this  river  may  get  himself  into  trouble 
with  its  water,  if  he  watch  not  where  he  plants  his 
steps.  He  may  come  upon  a  pool,  twenty  feet  deep,  and 
so  clear  is  the  water  and  distinct  every  object  in  it,  that 
the  bottom  seems  not  more  than  a  foot  or  two  under  the 
surface.  He  steps  in,  and,  to  his  amazement,  sinks  like 
a  rock  and  tliinks  the  bottom  has  fallen  out  beneath  him  ! 

Occasionally  from  its  north  bank  great  cliffs  of  stone 
hang  beetling  over  the  river.  In  these  are  several  caverns; 
one  with  a  hall  eight  acres  in  extent,  illumined  with  sta- 
lactites and  great  pillars  of  snow-white.  Perhaps  these 
were  the  concert  halls  of  the  gnomes  and  genii. 

KiVERS  Under  the  Ground. 

About  three  miles  above  Braunfels  this  river,  like  the 
San  Marcos,  San  Antonio,  and  San  Pedro,  gushes  sud- 
denly out  of  the  ground,  in  innumerable  springs — some 
with  such  force  that  they  produce  dancing  cones  of  water 
on  the  surface  of  the  fountain.  This  is  peculiar,  and  with- 
in my  knowledge  there  is  nothing  like  it  in  other  lands. 
Other  rivers  are  made  by  slow  accretions,  but  these  jump 
up  full-fledged,  like  Minerva  from  the  brain  of  Jove.  They 
must  be  rivers  under  the  ground,  running  perhaps  hun- 
dreds of  miles  in  perpetual  darkness,  before  leaping  into 
light.  This  would  explain  the  limpidity  of  their  waters  ; 
passing  through  subterranean  grottoes,  untinged  with  the 
sediment  of  the  hills  and  fields,  and  their  channels  undis- 
turbed by  intruding  man  or  animals.  But  if  this  be  so, 
would  there  not  be  found  occasionally  in  these  waters  eye- 
less fishes  like  those  in  Mammoth  Cave,  or  strange  varieties 
unsuited  to  streams  above  ground  ?  And  yet  none  such 
have  been  found.  It  may  be  that  pure  as  they  are  when 
they  have  reached  the  light,  their  subterranean  grottoes 
are  charged  with  deadly  gases  which  forbid  piscine  life. 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   11!^   TEXAS   0:N"   HORSEBACK.      131 

I  prefer  not  to  believe  this  of  streams  so  beautiful.  I 
would  rather  believe  that  the  nymphs  of  the  grottoes 
stand  watch  and  ward  at  the  portals  that  lead  to  light, 
and  herding  the  tinny  tribe,  drive  them  back  when  they 
would  pass  through.  Or  perhaps  those  subterranean  grot- 
toes sparkle  so  brilliantly  with  gems,  that  the  sun's  light 
is  not  needed,  and  the  finny  tribe  sport  indifferently 
within  and  without. 

I  have  noticed  that,  so  far,  these  remarkable  rivers 
gush  to  the  surface  where  the  Cretaceous  formation  ter- 
minates and  the  Eocene  begins.  The  line  of  demarcation 
between  these  formations  in  every  instance  is  very  dis- 
tinct ;  sometimes  rising  in  precipitous  bluffs,  as  in  the  case 
of  the  Comal,  but  usually  the  Cretaceous  slopes  to  the 
Eocene  in  regularly  descending  undulations,  and  it  is  at 
the  foot  of  these  long  slopes  that  the  great  fountains 
mostly  burst  forth.  The  cavernous  nature  of  its  limestone 
rocks  makes  this  formation  favorable  above  all  others  to 
subterranean  streams.  Its  extent  in  Texas  is  enormous, 
and  its  thickness  at  least  two  thousand  feet.  Its  north- 
western edge  is  tilted  up,  and  thence  it  slopes  to  the  south- 
east in  an  immense  inclined  plane,  studded  with  beautiful 
mountain  scenery,  and  the  loveliest  vales  and  lawns  on  the 
American  continent,  or  elsewhere.  These  subterranean 
rivers  probably  take  their  rise  near  the  upper  edge  of  this 
formation  ;  flowing  down  through  winding  caverns,  por- 
ticoed,  pilastred,  architraved  and  jeweled,  falling  over 
great  precipices,  murmuring  along  smooth  channels,  and 
rolling  silently  through  dark  pools.  By  the  time  they 
have  reached  the  termination  of  the  formation,  they  have 
doubtless  cut  their  way  to  the  base  of  the  strata,  where, 
coming  in  contact  with  the  harder  rocks  beneath,  and  the 
impermeable  clays  in  front,  they  are  brought  to  a  halt, 
and  pressed  upward  with  such  force  by  the  rushing  cur- 
rent behind,  that  the  superincumbent  masses  of  rock  are 


132     TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON   HOKSEBACK. 

l-ent  asunder,  the  rivers  rush  to  the  surface,  and  the  glo- 
rious fountains  are  the  result. 

That  these  rivers  come  from  great  depths,  is  proved  by 
the  temperature  of  their  water,  which  never  varies  at  the 
fountain,  in  summer  or  winter.  They  are  so  temperate 
that  one  may  bathe  in  them  with  delight  even  in  winter, 
and  during  cold  days  they  smoke  like  a  boiler.  I  have 
never  obtained  the  exact  temperature,  but  believe  that  it 
is  at  least  80°  of  Fahrenheit.  The  temperature  of  under- 
ground cisterns  in  Texas  averages  about  50°,  showing  a 
difference  of  30°  between  the  water  of  the  surface  and  that 
of  these  fountains.  As  the  heat  of  the  earth  increases  one 
degree  for  about  every  sixty  feet  of  descent,  this  would 
place  the  source  of  the  fountains  eighteen  hundred  feet 
below  the  surface, 'or  about  the  base  of  the  Cretaceous 
strata. 

The  Shore  of  the  Eocene  Sea.    • 

Leaving  the  fountains,  my  pathway  led  up  the  declivity, 
whose  stony  ascent  rang  with  a  metallic  sound  under  my 
horse's  feet.  On  the  top  of  it,  the  territory  rolled  away  to 
the  north  in  a  continuous  elevation,  rising  higher  as  it 
faded  away  in  the  distance  ;  cut  by  ravines,  sinking  in 
green  valleys,  or  thick  with  cedar-covered  or  bleak  and 
stony  mountains.*  Below  was  the  vast,  green  prairie,  with 
its  smooth  undulations  and  tumuli,  its  long  lines  of  forest 
marking  the  course  of  rivers  and  creeks,  the  white  city  of 
Braunfels,  and  the  villages  and  farms.  It  was  a  sudden 
elevation  of  the  country,  a  hundred  or  more  feet  above  the 
fountains,  and  rapidly  ascending  to  the  north  and  north- 
west. It  is  a  total  change  of  the  physical  conditions,  and 
a  region  utterly  new  lay  before  me. 

Here  was  the  shore  of  the  Eocene  Ocean  ;  in  other 
words,  all  before  me  was  good  dry  land,  and  all  below,  an 

*  So-called,  but  they  ai*e  simply  large  hlllB,  ptitting  on  mountain  airs. 


TWO   THOUSAN^D   MILES   IN   TEXAS   OJS"   HOKSEBACK.     133 

illimitable  misty  ocean,  whose  billows  thundered  and  hurled 
their  spray  on  these  very  rocks  at  my  feet.  There  was  no 
island  on  that  sea  for  thousands  of  miles,  and  no  sails  on 
its  bosom  ;  for  then  man  was  not.  But  it  was  not  alone  ; 
for  the  "  spirit  of  God  moved  upon  the  face  of  the  deep/' 
preparing  the  young  world  for  the  habitation  of  man^  and 
perhaps  the  winged  angels  hovered  over  it  and  walked  up- 
on this  shore,  assisting  in  the  great  work.  This  ancient 
sea-shore  extends  west\Yard  to  the  Kio  Grande,  in  curved 
lines, — eastward  to  Austin  and  thence  north-east  to  an  un- 
defined distance.  I  know  of  no  other  region  where  the 
line  of  separation  between  two  distinct  epochs  of  the 
world's  creation,  is  so  boldly  drawn.  It  is  in  fact  almost 
as  distinct  as  shore  and  sea. 

This  point  is  eight  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
sea,  and  to  that  depth  the  ocean  has  subsided  since  it  beat 
upon  these  rocks.  George  Wilkins  Kendall  used  to  say 
that  Texas  begins  at  this  ancient  shore,  and  that  all  below 
it  is  not  Texas  or  even  akin  to  it.  He  loved  the  romantic 
wilderness  of  the  Cretaceous. 

My  Cibolo  AGAII5". 

Eiding  some  fifteen  miles  over  this  New  Switzerland — 
sparsely  populated  with  shepherds  and  small  farmers — I 
again  descended  into  a  wide,  delightful  valley,  well  filled 
with  farms.  Down  the  centre  of  it  ran  a  pretty  rivulet, 
shaded  with  pecans,  elms  and  oaks,  and  sometimes  embow- 
ered under  vines.  I  was  amazed  when  they  told  me  it  was 
my  Cibolo.  Here  it  sparkled,  laughed,  murmured  and 
sang  ;  and  yet  where  I  had  left  it  some  twenty  miles  below, 
its  channel  was  the  bleakness  of  desolation,  ugly  and  de- 
formed, without  a  drop  of  running  water  !  What  manner 
of  stream  is  this,  which  enlarges  as  you  ascend  it,  and  is 
belittled  and  ceases  altogether  as  you  descend  it  ?  Truly, 
I  cannot  help  but  think  with  my  Jehu  that  it  is  the  comi- 


134     TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   1:^-   TEXAS   01^   HORSEBACK. 

calest  stream  in  the  world.  It  is  a  contradiction  of  a  river  ; 
a  turning  of  nature  upside  down  ;  standing  the  pyramid 
on  its  apex.  I  account  for  it  by  supposing  that  it  steals 
away  through  fissures  or  crevices  in  the  limestone,  and 
runs  along  in  caverns  under  its  own  channel,  till  meeting 
some  obstruction  it  is  forced  to  rise  again.  My  Cibolo 
does  not  like  too  much  company,  and  steals  away  into  sub- 
terranean solitudes  to  enjoy  his  own  meditations  and  phi- 
losophy ;  and  when  he  has  his  fill  of  these,  he  emerges. 
Truly,  he  is  an  original  genius.*  And  when  I  reflect 
that  even  the  streams  here  are  philosophers,  I  cannot  won- 
der that  the  population  should  be  infected  with  philoso- 
phy ;  for  all  this  region  hereabout  is  filled  with  philoso- 
phers and  learned  gentlemen  and  ladies,  who  are  mostly 
shepherds.  It  is  the  Greece — I  cannot  say  the  Athens — 
of  Texas.  So  much  for  the  influence  of  my  strange  and 
original  Cibolo. 

This  is  a  land  flowing  with  milk  and  honey.  It  is  a 
Paradise  to  the  poor  man  who  works,  and  to  the  rich  man 
who  loves  philosophy.     They  have  an  aristocracy  together. 

Three  Coyotes. 

While  riding  up  the  valley,  three  coyotes  crossed  the 
road  a  short  distance  before  me,  and  did  not  seem  to  con- 
sider my  presence  one  of  much  moment.  They  stopped 
and  gazed  at  me  a  moment  and  then  pursued  their  course. 
They  had  probably  just  had  their  fill  of  carrion,  and  were 
on  their  way  to  slake  their  thirst  at  the  rivulet. 

These  creatures  are  of  a  reddish  brown,  or  brindled 
color,  and  as  much  like  a  dog  as  two  black-eyed  peas  are 
similar  to  one  another.  Indeed,  I  have  seen  many  dogs  in 
the  domestic  state  from  whom  it  would  be  difficult  to  dis- 
tinguish them.  Their  ears  are  stiff  and  long,  and  their  tails 

*  The  Hondo,  fifty  miles  west  of  the  Cibolo,  behaves  precisely  in  the  same 
way— frequently  disappearing  and  rising  again. 


TWO   THOUSAN"D   MILES   Il!T  TEXAS   ON"   HORSEBACK.      135 

bushy.  If  a  large  yellow  cnr  should  associate  with  a 
female  bull-fice  of  nearly  similar  color,  I  judge  that  the 
product  would  be  yery  much  the  same  as  the  coyote.  They 
are  about  three  feet  in  length,  exclusive  of  tail,  and  about 
eighteen  inches  in  height.  They  invariably  carry  with 
them  an  air  of  profound  melancholy,  as  if  some  mortal 
anguish  was  at  their  hearts.  This  appearance  is  so  striking 
that  no  one  can  look  upon  them  without  being  so  greatly 
impressed  by  it  that  he  feels  melancholy  himself.  What 
can  be  the  reason  of  this  is  a  mystery  to  me.  I  conceive  it 
to  be  a  true  melancholy,  for  I  can  think  of  no  ends  which 
the  coyote  may  subserve  by  hypocrisy.  I  have  thought  that 
it  might  be  the  result  of  a  very  hard  life,  in  which  there  is 
a  continual  struggle  for  the  first  necessities,  making  pro- 
longed and  painful  fasts  of  frequent  occurrence.  But  this 
explanation  is  overthrown  by  the  fact  that  every  coyote  I 
ever  handled  was  in  excellent  order, — far  more  so  than  the 
general  run  of  dogs  in  the  domestic  state — and  I  never 
saw  one  who  appeared  uncomfortably  lean.  Food,  also,  is 
so  abundant  in  this  country  that  they  need  never  feel  dis- 
tress about  their  next  meal.  The  most  probable  explana- 
tion seems  to  me  this  :  It  is  the  nature  of  the  dog  to  love 
the  society  and  protection  of  man.  A  dog  without  a  master 
is  the  most  melancholy  thing  in  nature,  and  I  have  known 
the  dogs  of  bachelors  to  lie  down  and  die  with  inconsolable 
grief  after  the  death  of  their  masters.  It  is  said  that  man 
is  the  only  animal  that  sheds  tears,  but  I  have  seen  a  dog 
shed  tears  after  the  death  of  its  master.  The  coyote  is  but 
a  dog,  with  all  of  the  dog's  nature,  and  it  may  be  that  his 
melancholy  is  the  result  of  some  unsatisfied  desire  which 
he  cannot  understand,  like  ''  the  desire  oi  the  moth  for 
the  star ; "  or  that  he  feels  that  he  is  entitled  to  man's 
friendship  and  protection,  and  pines  with  sorrow  because 
they  are  withheld.  Certain  it  is,  that  he  hangs  closely  and 
longingly  around  the  haunts  of  men,  and  is  rarely  if  ever 


136     TWO   THOUSAN^D    MILES   1^   TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK. 

found  remote  from  them.  Though  shot  at,  pursued  and 
poisoned  by  man,  it  may  be  that  he  loves  from  afar  off  the 
hand  that  is  uplifted  against  him,  and  yearns  for  the  day 
when  he  shall  be  taken  to  its  protection  and  his  love  re- 
turned. If  this  be  not  the  true  explanation,  my  faculties 
are  entirely  at  a  loss  to  suggest  what  may  be. 

They  often  meet  in  considerable  company  and  form  a 
circle,  facing  each  other,  all  sitting  on  their  hind-quarters. 
After  a  series  of  low  barks  and  yelps,  they  break  forth 
into  most  piteous  moans  and  howling,  as  if  their  hearts 
had  broken.  I  fancy  that  on  such  occasions  they  are  re- 
ceiving reports  on  the  prospect  of  man  receiving  them  into 
friendship,  and  when  an  unusually  cruel  story  is  related  of 
his  unrelenting  persecutions,  their  grief  becomes  ungov- 
ernable, and  they  involuntarily  give  vent  to  it  in  their 
dismal  lamentations.  I  have  listened  to  them  until  I  felt 
exceedingly  sorry  for  them,  and  have  often  thought  that 
if  the  writers  of  operas  could  hear  them,  they  might  re- 
ceive valuable  hints  informing  the  mournful  parts  of  their 
music.  Certainly  I  have  never  heard  from  any  other 
source  such  deeply  melancholy  and  affecting  notes  ;  and 
I  have  heard  most  of  the  operas  of  any  note  on  the  stage. 

They  are  very  numerous  on  the  Texas  prairies,  partic- 
ularly those  that  are  covered  with  chaparral.  About  San 
Antonio  they  are  so  tame  that  they  enter  the  city  every 
night,  and  travellers  sleeping  in  the  chaparral  often  have 
their  sacks  of  victuals  stolen  from  under  their  heads. 
They  will  eat  anything  that  comes  along,  whether  it  be  a 
fat  shoat  or  a  tender  lamb,  and  will  drive  buzzards  away 
from  a  festering  cai'cass.  But  the  morsel  which  seems  to 
them  most  delicious  above  all  others,  is  a  dried  cow-skin. 
By  this  they  will  encamp  and  gnaw  for  days  in  succession, 
until  hardly  a  hair  is  left  to  tell  where  the  skin  had  been. 
I  have  never  known  them  to  do  any  damage,  except  by 
picking  up  an  occasional  stray  pig  or  weakly  lamb  that 
had  been  lost  by  its  mother. 


II. 


BOERN"E. 

A  FEW  hours'  ride  up  the  vale  of  my  Cibolo — whose 
waters  contiimally  increased  as  I  ascended  it — 
iDrought  me  to  the  hamlet  of  Boerne,  the  capital  seat  of 
Kendall  County,  and  the  rose  of  all  this  new  Switzerland. 
It  reminds  me  of  many  pictures  I  have  seen  of  villages 
hidden  in  dells,  forming  a  little  world  to  themselves.  On 
the  west  and  north  is  a  mountainous  wall  of  stone,  crowned 
with  evergreen  mountain  growths,  shutting  it  out  com- 
pletely from  those  horizons  ;  and  from  the  east  the  high- 
lands slope  down  to  it  with  a  long  descent,  covered  with 
forest.  My  Cibolo  sweeps  against  the  abutment  of  this 
dark,  precipitous  wall,  and  Boerne  sits  mostly  on  its  east 
bank.  To  the  north  the  wall  is  some  miles  off,  allowing 
quite  a  sweep  to  the  eye  in  that  direction.  The  population 
is  five  or  six  hundred,  two-thirds  German  ;  the  houses  are 
stone,  all  neat,  and  many  evidencing  the  prosperity  and 
refinement  of  their  owners.  The  rapid  elevation  of  the 
country,  after  reaching  the  Cretaceous  wall,  is  shown  by 
the  fact  that  Boerne  sits  fifteen  hundred  feet  above  the 
sea,  while  Braunfels  at  its  foot,  not  a  day's  journey  away, 
is  only  seven  hundred.  The  atmosphere  here  is  of  the 
upper  strata,  pure  as  the  icicles  on  Dian's  temple,  and  in 
summer  never  hot.  Hence,  at  this  season  it  is  a  favorite 
resort  to  those  seeking  delightful  quarters,  where  there  is 
no  temptation  to  spendthrift.  Here  is  a  fine  chalybeate 
spring,  which  increases  the  attractiveness. 


138     TWO   THOUSAND    MILES   IIS'   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK. 

There  is,  as  the  French  would  say,  ^^I  do  not  know 
what "  of  an  air  of  a  higher  and  most  refined  civilization 
sitting  over  this  whole  community.  It  impresses  one  with 
the  conviction  that  here  might  his  family  reside  in  happi- 
ness and  plenty,  he  being  away  himself,  and  his  sons  and 
daughters  left  to  grow  up  almost  at  will,  confident  in  the 
faith  that  they  would  develop  into  good  men  and  women. 

The  Products. 

The  products  of  this  region  are  exceedingly  varied,  and 
hence  the  unusual  and  universal  good  condition  of  its  peo- 
ple. Every  countryman  has  his  quiver  full  of  arrows,  and 
all  are  well-to-do,  and  most  of  them  independent.  Wheat 
is  a  never  failing  harvest,  yielding  from  twenty  to  thirty 
bushels  to  the  acre,  on  lands  which  have  never  received  an 
ounce  of  fertilizers  from  the  tillers.  Should  these  lands 
occasionally  receive  a  dressing  of  phosphatic  guano,  there 
can  be  no  doubt  that  their  yield  would  be  greatly  increased 
— perhaps  as  much  as  a  third.  Oats,  barley  and  rye  flour- 
ish as  well,  the  two  former  producing  extraordinary  crops. 
Cotton  is  not  grown,  but  would  do  as  well  here  as  else- 
where, in  the  valleys.  The  tiller  is  independent  of  the 
merchant  or  the  great  planter  for  his  sweets  ;  for  the 
sorghum  flourishes  almost  without  attention,  and  the  bee 
nearly  the  whole  year  roand  accumulates  his  stores.  He 
is  independent  of  France  or  the  Khine  for  his  wines,  for 
the  wild  grape  is  so  abundant  that  not  less,  as  I  am  told, 
than  fifty  thousand  gallons  of  wine  were  made  the  past 
season  in  Boerne  and  the  vicinity.  This  wine,  to  my  taste, 
is  usually  a  strong-bodied  claret,  but  some  of  it  is  much 
like  the  Catalan  wines  of  Spain.  Peaches,  pears,  plums, 
cherries  and  figs  are  grown  on  every  place,  and  the  region 
is  also  proving  itself  well  adapted  to  some  varieties  of  the 
apple.  In  addition  to  all  of  these,  consider  that  while  the 
farmer  plants  and  gathers  his  crops  and  the  fruits  of  his 


TWO  THOUSAKD   MILES   IN  TEXAS   0:n:   HORSEBACK.     139 

orchards  and  vineyards,  his  herds  are  constantly  increasing 
his  property  without  increasing  his  labor  to  an  appreciable 
degree. 

Sheep  Husbai^dry. 

But  the  most  distinguished  industry  of  this  region,  and 
that  which  has  given  it  its  most  interesting  society,  is 
sheep  husbandry.  It  has  the  name  of  the  sheep  region 
par  excelle7ice  of  Texas,  but  I  cannot  see  that  it  is  better 
than  many  districts  I  have  passed  over,  if  so  good.  I  sus- 
pect that,  like  many  other  things,  it  owes  its  reputation  to 
the  pen  ;  which,  let  us  say  what  we  will,  is  far  mightier 
than  the  sword.  Here  George  Wilkins  Kendall  came  to 
live,  some  twenty-five  years  ago,  after  he  was  full  of  honors 
obtained  in  other  fields.  He  began  the  sheep-raising  busi- 
ness on  a  small  scale  as  an  experiment ;  and  his  flocks 
prospered  beyond  anything  he  had  known  in  his  native 
Vermont,  or  in  France  and  Spain.  Being  a  most  lively 
writer,  he  wrote  profusely  on  the  subject,  and  his  articles 
seemed  to  go  everywhere.  Men  with  money  came  to 
Boerne  from  every  portion  of  the  United  States  ;  from 
Scotland,  England,  and  even  distant  Australia.  Many  en- 
gaged in  sheep-raising  in  Kendall's  neighborhood,  in  order 
that  they  might  have  his  advice  and  example  ;  and  thus 
the  reputation  of  the  region  grew,  until  there  are  now  be- 
tween thirty  and  forty  thousand  fine  sheep  within  a  small 
circumference  about  Boerne.  Besides  wool  the  shepherds 
^derive  an  income  from  the  sale  of  bucks  ;  for  a  ^^  Boerne  " 
or  a  "  Kendall"  buck  is  a  sme  qua  non  to  all  young  men 
embarking  in  the  business.  Kendall  from  this  source  per- 
haps made  as  much  money  as  from  the  sale  of  his  fleeces  ; 
for  a  portion  of  his  flocks  was  derived  from  the  finest  bucks 
and  ewes  of  Spain  and  France,  which  he  had  selected  and 
imported  himself.  Before  his  experiment  there  was  no 
sheep  husbandry  in  Texas  ;  but  since  then,  by  the  light 


140    TWO   THOUSAND  MILES   IN   TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK. 

of  his  example,  it  has  grown  to  exceed  that  of  any  other 
State,  or  if  this  is  an  over-estimate  it  soon  will  not  be. 

The  basis  of  nearly  all  the  flocks,  and  most  of  the  Ken- 
dall flocks,  is  the  coarse,  shaggy,  diminutive  Mexican  ewe, 
whose  fleece  seems  to  be  a  genuine  hair  instead  of  wool. 
These  singular  creatures  are  associated  with  the  purest 
Merino  bucks,  and  their  product  in  a  few  removes  becomes 
60  fine  that  none  but  an  expert  can  distinguish  them  from 
the  true  Merino,  and  finally  they  are  entirely  lost  in  the 
Merino.  Indeed,  they  are  probably  a  true  Merino  them- 
selves, for  they  were  brought  by  the  Spaniards  to  Mexico, 
where  they  have  been  allowed  to  degenerate  from  want  of 
intelligent  husbandry.  They  have  their  merit  in  their  ex- 
ceedingly healthy  and  hardy  constitution,  aud  in  the  fact 
that  they  are  natives  of  the  climate. 

There  are  a  few  flocks  which  have  been  graded  up  from 
the  common  American  ewe,  from  Missouri  and  Arkansas, 
and  I  discussed  with  a  wool-grower  the  relative  merits  of 
that  stock  and  the  Mexican  to  breed  from.  He  held  that 
while  the  American  crossed  with  the  Merino  gave  a  larger 
and  handsomer  animal,  and  was  better  in  the  early  results, 
yet  these  advantages  were  overcome  by  the  more  rapid  and 
thorough  improvement  of  the  Mexican.  In  favor  of  the 
Mexican  it  is  also  a  fact  that  they  can  be  obtained  at  about 
half  the  cost  of  the  American — a  matter  of  much  impor- 
tance to  the  young  man  without  much  money  who  pro- 
poses to  embark  in  the  business. 

The  flocks  are  divided  into  brigades  or  regiments  of  not 
more  than  a  thousand  each,  and  the  sexes  kept  separate, 
except  during  a  short  period  when  the  finest  bucks  are 
allowed  to  visit  the  females.  One  shepherd,  usually  a 
Mexican,  accompanies  each  brigade  on  its  walk  over  the 
^^  range,"  assisted  by  one  or  two  well  trained  dogs,  which 
are  taught  not  to  allow  the  sheep  to  scatter.  They  are 
driven  up  every  night  to  their  cotes,  and  the  dogs  sleep 


TWO   THOUSAi^D   MILES   IN^   TEXAS   0:N"   HOKSEBACK.    141 

with  them  and  never  abandon  their  posts.  They  receive 
no  other  food  than  the  grass  they  pick  on  their  walks,  and 
this  is  abundantly  sufficient.  They  are  not  allowed  to 
walk  over  the  same  track  two  days  in  succession ;  so  that 
the  grass  is  restored  by  the  genial  clime  and  fertile  soil  as/ 
fast  as  they  pluck  it. 

It  is  estimated  that  a  well  graded  flock  will  average 
annually  about  four  pounds  of  wool  to  the  head,  worth  at 
this  time  in  San  Antonio  and  Braunfels  twenty  to  twenty- 
five  cents  per  pound.  As  the  care  of  a  flock  of  two  thou- 
sand need  not  exceed  three  hundred  dollars  a  year,  for 
service  and  maintenance  of  two  shepherds,  and  the  increase 
of  animals  is  at  least  fifty  per  cent,  the  profit  of  the  busi- 
ness seems  apparent. 

The  Society  of  Shepherds. 

No  one  can  travel  among  the  sheep-raisers  of  Texas 
without  being  struck  with  the  fact  that  they  are  almost 
invariably  people  of  intelligence,  and  often  of  high  culture 
and  refinement.  They  are  the  aristocracy  of  the  stock- 
men. The  cattlemen  as  a  general  thing  are  unmistakably 
rough,  and  rarely  have  many  evidences  of  civilization  about 
them.  Indeed,  they  seem  to  me  to  have  a  scorn  of  the 
amenities  and  humanities,  and  look  upon  them  as  pitiable 
weaknesses.  Were  the  world  filled  with  them  alone,  there 
would  be  a  darkness  thicker  than  that  of  the  medieval 
ages  :  no  song,  no  poetry,  no  eloquence,  no  railroads,  no 
ships,  no  pretty  gardens  and  flowers  ;  but  in  place  of  these 
there  would  be  abundance  of  chivalry  and  broken  heads, 
for  the  cattle-raisers  are  bold,  reckless  and  adventurous. 
Should  there  be  dragons  spitting  fire  and  consuming  things 
with  their  breath,  they  would  be  sure  to  find  them  out  and 
annihilate  them.  The  horse-raiser  is  a  long  advance  to- 
ward civilization,  and  many  of  them  very  closely  approxi- 
mate the  sheep-raiser.     Were  the  world  filled  with  them 


14cZ     TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   1:^"   TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK. 

alone,  there  would  be  a  moderate  supply  of  poetry  and 
eloquence,  and  no  lack  of  wars.  On  the  other  hand,  if  we 
were  all  shepherds — and  I  may  judge  from  my  own  obser- 
vations— it  would  be  all  poetry,  music,  eloquence,  all  hu- 
manity and  no  war.  The  valleys  would  re-echo  with  the 
notes  of  the  flageolet  and  pipe. 

These  are  curious  points,  but  they  stick  out  so  prom- 
inently that  a  traveller  would  behoove  to  be  very  benighted 
not  to  observe  them.  I  have  4;hought  a  good  deal  over  the 
phenomena,  and  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
animals  we  associate  with  have  a  much  greater  influence 
over  us  than  we  are  willing  to  admit ;  in  fact,  that  they 
impress  us  much  more  than  we  impress  them  ;  in  other 
words,  that  they  gradually  convey  their  natures  into  us, 
receiving  in  return  little  or  none  of  our  nature  from  us. 
Man  is  a  very  impressible  creature,  undoubtedly,  and  may 
be  greatly  affected  by  the  society  about  him,  whether  it  be 
of  other  men  or  animals.  If  the  society  about  us  is  more 
elevated  than  we  are,  our  tendency  is  to  be  elevated  to  it ; 
if  it  is  infinitely  below  us,  our  tendency  is  to  be  degraded 
to  it.  Now,  the  Texas  steer  is  the  roughest  thing  in  the 
world,  having  no  trace  whatever  of  civilization  or  the 
amenities.  He  will  rush  through  thorny  thickets  like  a 
thunderbolt,  leap  stony  ravines,  and  speed  over  rocks  and 
mountains  like  a  tempest,  tail  up.  These  are  his  delight, 
and  like  the  man  with  the  ass'  head  in  the  play,  he  would 
not  give  a  bunch  of  thistles  or  peascods  for  all  the  ameni- 
ties and  preserves.  This  is  the  cattle-raiser's  constant 
companion  and  friend,  and  not  only  that,  but  his  bene- 
factor, from  whom  he  derives  all  his  income  and  suste- 
nance. It  is  natural  that  he  should  entertain  a  very  high 
regard  for  him,  and  at  last  look  upon  him  as  a  model  of 
human  perfection.  As  time  passes,  he  assimilates  more 
and  more  to  him,  and  before  he  is  aware  of  it,  has  become 
more  a  steer  or  a  bull  than  a  man,  except  in  outward 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.     143 

shape  ;  and  his  wife  and  daughters  are  in  danger  of  be- 
coming to  as  great  a  degree,  cows  and  heifers,  and  his 
sons  bull-yearlings. 

Of  course,  I  do  not  mean  to  say  that  this  is  always  the 
case  ;  but  nature  makes  few  exceptions,  and  it  invariably 
results  so  unless  the  cow-man  and  his  family  are  exposed 
to  frequent  influences  from  without,  in  the  shape  of  a  re- 
fined society,  which  may  overcome  the  steady,  silent  influ- 
ence of  the  wild  cattle.  The  cattle-raiser  should  hedge 
himself  about  with  books,  papers  and  music,  beautify  his 
home,  and  frequently  transport  himself  and  his  family  into 
other  scenes. 

The  horse  is  a  much  more  beautiful  and  refined  animal 
than  the  steer,  and  even  in  his  wildest  state  is  by  no 
means  devoid  of  accomplishments.  He  is  the  noblest  of  all 
the  quadrupeds,  both  in  comeliness  of  person  and  grace  of 
mind.  Man  may  therefore  associate  with  him  not  only 
without  being  greatly  lowered,  but  sometimes  be  actually 
elevated ;  and  I  account  for  the  great  superiority  of  the 
horse-raiser  over  the  steer-raiser,  by  this  great  difference 
in  favor  of  the  horse  over  the  steer. 

The  sheep  from  time  immemorial,  and  in  all  languages, 
has  been  the  symbol  of  gentleness,  patience,  and  purity, 
and  has  always  been  associated  with  pastoral  verse  and  a 
refined  life.  These  things  cannot  pass  into  proverbs  with- 
out being  correct,  and  from  nature.  Even  the  Most  High 
spoke  of  those  who  are  chosen  to  life  in  heaven  as  his 
lambs ;  and  the  Christ  was  the  Lamb  of  God.  It  is  but 
the  natural  result  then,  that  the  sheep- raiser  should  be  of 
chaste,  beautiful  and  refined  life,  such  as  he  generally  is, 
and  such  as  I  behold  him  here^-r-occupying,  by  right  of 
merit,  the  first  place  m  society.  It  is  the  gentler  influ- 
ence of  the  animal  whom  he  loves  and  cares  for  and  who 
in  turn  loves  and^cares  for  him,  pervading  him  with  its 
nature, 


144   TWO   THOUSAND    MILES   IN   TEXx^S   ON    HOKSEBACK, 

I  have  also  observed  that  the  slieep-raisers  often  have  a 
strongly  reflective  and  philosophic  cast  of  mind.  I  judge 
that  the  constant  contemplation  of  the  calm  visages  of  the 
sheep  leads  to  meditation  ;  and  meditation  leads  to  phi- 
losophy. 

Geokge  Wilkiks  Kendall. 

This  whole  region  has  been  made  classic  by  the  pen  and 
residence  of  George  W.  Kendall,  to  whom  it  owes  its  fame 
and  most  of  its  prosperity.  He  is  dead,  but  he  is  still  the 
central  figure  here,  and  one  often  hears  his  name.  He 
impressed  himself  deeply  on  the  popular  heart  about  him. 
His  was  a  remarkable  character,  in  which  there  was  that 
strange  contradiction  of  the  sternest  common  sense  with 
an  overflowing  fancy  and  spirit  of  romance ;  a  rare  com- 
bination w^hich  makes  the  strongest  and  grandest  of  men. 
His  spirit  was  one  of  those  that  never  grow  old,  but  ^*  flour- 
ish in  immortal  youth,"  He  had  built  up  one  of  the 
greatest  presses  in  the  country  and  amassed  a  fortune  by 
it ;  had  lived  in  the  gayest  capitals  of  Europe,  with  the 
gayest  of  their  people  ;  yet  he  abandoned  all  of  these  for 
beautiful,  but  then  wild,  Texas,  and  chose  to  be  a  shep- 
herd. What  was  it  but  the  singular  spirit  of  romance  that 
did  this  ?  What  else  impelled  him  on  that  wild  and  long 
tramp  to  Santa  Fe,  over  a  country  till  then  untrodden  by 
white  men,  and  which  has  been  made  immortal  by  his 
vivid  and  sparkling,  yet  so  genial  pen  ?  From  his  home 
and  occupation  as  a  shepherd  he  would  often  break  loose 
like  a  truant,  to  disappear  sometimes  for  days  and  weeks 
in  succession,  in  the  deepest  wilderness,  with  a  few  chosen 
friends,  to  commune  with  wild  nature  and  wild  animals ; 
living  in  the  meantime  on  scarcely  anything  save  what  his 
rifle  brought  down.  Some  student  of  human  nature  has 
said  that  as  we  are  all  descended  from  lavages  who  loved 
the  floods  and  the  wild  woods  and  mountains,  the  ances- 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   I^"   TEXAS   O:^^   HORSEBACK.     145 

tral  instinct  will  still  frequently  crop  out  in  the  highest 
specimens  of  the  race,  impelling  them  to  what  their  fathers 
loved  ;  and  Kendall  makes  me  think  that  this  philosopher 
was  right.  Another  great  Texan,  Sam  Houston,  while 
governor  of  Tennessee,  unaccountahly  abandoned  his  office 
and  resided  some  years  among  the  Indians,  adopting  their 
dress  and  mode  of  life.  When  visited  by  his  friends  and 
urged  to  return  to  civilization,  he  pretended  to  have  for- 
gotten their  language,  and  responded  simply  with  a  grunt.* 
Was  this  the  spirit  of  romance,  or  the  savage  instinct  of 
the  ancestry  ? 

Kendall's  family  still  resides  at  his  favorite  seat  near 
this  place,  and  his  shepherd  business  thrives  under  the 
management  of  the  accomplished  Mrs.  Kendall.  I  hope  it 
will  not  be  intrusive  in  me  to  say  it,  but  the  fact  seems  so 
in  point  that  I  cannot  forbear  it.  George  Wilkins  Ken«- 
dall  won  his  lady  in  the  salons  of  Paris — the  daughter  of 
a  French  army  officer — where  she  was  born  and  grew  into 
womanhood.  One  of  the  most  beautiful  and  accomplished 
of  ladies,  young  and  of  the  most  brilliant  society,  yet  she 
cheerfully  gave  up  all  of  these  for  her  husband  and  beauti- 
ful but  wild  Texas  ;  and  I  am  told  that  she  has  always  so 
much  loved  this  life,  that,  rich  as  she  is,  she  cannot  be  in- 
duced to  abandon  it,  even  teraporarily.  Thus  even  the 
ladies,  under  the  influence  of  the  ancestry,  may  be  smitten 
with  the  love  of  the  romantic,  as  well  as  men.  How  do  I 
know  but  that  il;  is  something  of  the  kind  that  is  impelling 
me  on  this  wild  trip  ?  For  I  certainly  do  not  know  of  any 
imperious  necessity  that  I  should  make  it. 

*  Such  is  the  story  told  of  him  by  those  who  knew  him  most  intimately,  and 
itis  just  like  him. 


III. 


Wild  Nature  akd  Wild  Beasts. 

AFTER  abundant  rest  and  good  fare,  I  rode  north. 
.  rive  or  six  miles  from  Boerne  the  path  led  into  a 
congeries  of  grizzly  hills,  crowded  with  rocks,  and  starving 
a  scrubby  growth  of  cedar  and  various  oaks  and  nettles. 
It  is  a  forbidding  country,  given  over  to  grimness  and  ruin. 
The  ground  clanks  under  my  horse's  feet  and  occasionally 
gives  forth  a  hollow  sound,  as  if  from  caverns  below.  The 
road  climbs  these  great  hills  or  ridges  in  quick  succession  ; 
the  valleys  being  mere  gorges,  piled  with  naked  rocks  that 
have  thundered  from  the  precipices  above.  The  fury  of 
the  torrents  that  sometimes  sweep  down  these  gorges  is 
shown  by  the  bleak,  stony  surface,  on  which  there  is  not  a 
handful  of  earth.  Nothing  lives  here.  Only  a  few  scat- 
tering cattle  are  seen  occasionally,  browsing  on  the  coarse 
grass  and  stumbling  over  the  ringing  heaps  of  stone  ;  and 
I  can  imagine  that  these  are  only  wayward  adventurers, 
•who  when  they  get  out  of  the  district  will  not  return.  I 
was  mistaken  :  there  goes  a  flock  of  turkeys  before  me, 
dashing  up  the  steep  mountain  in  a  long,  black  line,  with 
the  fleetness  of  race-horses.  What  do  they  live  on  here  ? 
Looking  around,  I  see  numerous  scraggy  hackberry  trees, 
loaded  with  red  berries,  and  from  these  I  suppose  these 
birds  draw  their  rations. 

But  what  is  that  noise  ?  It  sounds  like  a  shriek  and  a 
wail,  and  seems  to  be  right  on  my  path.  I  involuntarily 
grasped  one  of  my  pistols  and  drew  it  from  the  holster. 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN^   TEXAS   ON"   HORSEBACK.     147 

Again  I  hear  it,  and  it  is  absolutely  a  shriek  and  a  wail. 
Is  it  possible  some  horrible  murder  is  being  committed  in 
this  lonely  and  grim  region — by  a  band  of  ferocious  In- 
dians, perhaps  ?  I  felt  my  hair  rise,  actually  stand  on  end, 
but  still  rode  on  toward  a  thicket  on  the  right  of  the  road, 
whence  the  noise  seemed  to  come.  As  I  approached  it  my 
horse  grew  suspicious,  and  pricked  up  his  ears  and  shied 
away  from  that  side  of  the  road.  I  momentarily  expected 
something,  but  could  not  tell  what.  When  immediately 
opposite  the  thicket  everything  was  as  still  as  a  mouse,  but 
suddenly  my  horse  leaped  to  the  left,  almost  causing  me  to 
fall  from  my  saddle,  and  at  the  same  moment  two — not* 
Indians  —  not  murderers  —  but  two  splendid  panthers 
bounded  across  the  road  immediately  before  me.  I  drew 
a  breath  of  relief  and  laughed  at  myself  for  the  agitation  I 
had  felt.  My  horse  also  seemed  greatly  relieved,  for  he 
became  at  once  quite  gay  and  continued  so  for  some  dis- 
tance. 

The  panthers  disappeared  in  the  brush,  but  one  of  them 
leaped  on  a  large  stone  not  more  than  fifty  yards  from  me 
in  full  view,  and  stood  there  Ions:  enough  for  me  to  have 
shot  him,  had  I  been  so  disposed.  But  he  looked  so  splen- 
did that  I  did  not  have  the  heart  to  do  it.  He  was  of  a 
mouse  color,  apparently  about  three  feet  high,  long  and 
slender,  with  a  head  for  all  the  world  like  a  monstrous 
cat's,  a  long  sweeping  tail,  which  rested  partly  on  the  rock 
while  the  end  of  it,  curled  upwards,  slowly  waved  hither 
and  thither.  He  was  eight  or  nine  feet  in  length.  Pres- 
ently he  leaped  gracefully  from  the  rock  and  bounded  out 
of  sight. 

This  animal  is  a  true  cat,  and  the  king  of  all  cats, 
whom  the  tabbies  should  be  proud  of.  They  fire  in  noth- 
ing distinguished  from  the  domestic  cat,  save  their  greater 
size,  uniformity  of  color,  more  slender  and  graceful  form, 
and  more  graceful  movements,  which  are  the  poetry  of  mo- 


148     TWO   THOUSAKD   MILES   lif   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK. 

tion.  They  even  haye  the  voice  of  the  cat — with  a  greatly 
enlarged  compass,  of  course.  If  one  has  heard  Tom  and 
Tabby  caterwauling  on  the  eaves  of  a  house  at  night,  he 
can  easily  judge  what  the  voice  of  the  panther  is.  Some- 
times they  make  a  noise  almost  exactly  like  that  of  a  weep- 
ing child ;  and  the  young  folks  think  that  they  do  this  to 
decoy  people  into  the  woods,  in  order  to  devour  them. 

They  are  not  uncommon  on  the  frontier  and  wilder  dis- 
tricts of  Texas,  and  are  sometimes  quite  destructive  to  live- 
stock. They  are  particularly  fond  of  young  colts,  and  are 
for  this  reason  thoroughly  detested  by  the  horse- raiser, 
'  who  can  only  destroy  them  with  his  gun,  as,  unlike  the 
wolf,  they  cannot  be  poisoned,  refusing,  as  it  is  said,  to 
touch  any  flesh  which  has  not  been  slain  by  themselves. 
Nor  will  they  eat  any  that  is  not  fresh  and  sweet,  being  as 
cleanly  as  pussy-cat  on  the  hearth.  They  have  never  been 
known  to  attack  man  in  Texas,  but  have  sometimes  ap- 
peared to  threaten  it.  An  old  Texan*  told  the  writer  that 
one  evening  while  riding  through  a  densely  timbered  valley, 
he  was  followed  a  considerable  distance  by  two  panthers, 
w^ho  kept  but  a  little  distance  from  him,  bounding  along 
sometimes  before  him,  and  stopping  until  he  had  passed. 
He  was  unarmed,  but  did  not  dare  increase  the  speed  of 
his  horse,  fearing  that  if  he  showed  sign  of  alarm,  the  ani- 
mals would  bounce  upon  him.  They  followed  him  until 
he  had  passed  out  of  the  valley  into  the  open  prairie.  He 
afterward  concluded  that  these  panthers  had  their  kittens 
closely  by,  and  adopted  this  strategy  to  lead  him  away  from 
them — as  we  sometimes  see  turtle-doves  and  other  birds 
feign  to  be  wounded  and  flutter  before  mischievous  boys  to 
lead  them  from  their  nests. 

Another  instance  was  told  me  by  a  gentleman  who  had 
seen  much  experience  of  frontier  life.  He  and  a  compan- 
ion had  encamped  in  a  deep  forest,  and  had  retired  to  their 

*  Judge  William  Manifee  of  Fayette. 


TWO   THOUSAi^^D   MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON"   HORSEBACK.     14? 

blankets/ without  afire,  which  they  were  afraid  to  build, 
as  marauding  Indians  were  known  to  be  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. Presently  -they  were  disturbed  by  a  thumping  on 
the  ground,  apparently  quite  near  them.  This  was  at  in- 
tervals of  a  few  seconds.  When  they  arose  to  see  what  was 
the  matter,  the  noise  ceased  and  they  could  see  nothing. 
Eeturning  to  their  blankets,  it  soon  began  again  as  before, 
but  apparently  nearer.  They  arose  again  and  looking 
around  carefully,  saw,  under  the  feeble  moonlight,  a  huge 
panther  crouched  in  a  depression  in  the  ground,  not  over 
ten  feet  from  where  they  lay.  Said  the  gentleman:  *^I 
might  have  shot  him  dead  with  my  pistol,  but  did  not  dare 
do  so,  for  fear  of  attracting  the  Indians.  But  I  held  my 
pistol  upon  him  while  my  companion  hurled  a  big  chunk 
at  him.  He  bounded  away  and  we  heard  no  more  of  him. 
Had  we  remained  quietly  in  our  blankets  or  been  asleep,  I 
have  no  doubt  he  would  have  bounced  upon  us.  You  have 
seen  a  cat  when  watching  to  jump  upon  a  bird  ;  she  will 
continually  raise  her  tail  and  stroke  the  ground  with  it,  and 
this  huge  panther  was  practicing  the  same  sort  of  game 
on  us." 

The  frontiersmen  sometimes  eat  the  panther,  but  they 
do  not  consider  it  a  first-class  dish,  saying  its  flesh  has  a 
peculiar  sweetish  taste  which  they  cannot  become  used  to. 
I  should  say  that  the  flesh  of  a  cat  would  be  quite  as  good. 

The  Sisterdalians. 

The  grim  desolation  of  stone  and  gorge  abutted 
abruptly  upon  the  sparkling  Guadalupe,  which  has  pierced 
it  through  the  centre,  cutting  a  tortuous,  constricted 
channel,  and  the  great  rocks  hang  over  it,  sometimes  on 
both  sides  at  once.  Deep  in  the  shaded  dell  sits  the  little 
German  hamlet  of  Sisterdale,  shut  up  from  every  horizon, 
hemmed  in  by  precipice,  clanking  rock  and  gorge.  When 
i  first  saw  it,  I  thought  of  a  nest  of  robbers  in  the  Alps  ; 


150     TWO   THOUSAND    MILES   1^   TEXAS   ON    HORSEBACK. 

but  perhaps  a  more  gentle,  contented  and  happy  people  do 
not  exist.  But  what  sort  of  whim  or  fancy  was  it  that  im- 
pelled these  people  to  choose  this  remote  and  isolated  spot, 
when  Texas  has  such  millions  of  better  lands  to  be  had  for 
the  asking  ?  It  takes  all  sorts  of  fancies  to  make  a  worla  ; 
else  what  scopes  of  God's  globe  would  not  be  tenanted,  and 
man  would  not  truly  possess  the  earth  !  The  Lap  and 
the  Esquimaux  think  that  their  lands  of  snow-clad  hills 
and  icebergs,  with  their  nights  of  six  months'  duration, 
illumined  by  the  gaudy  curtains  of  the  Aurora,  are  the 
most  charming  of  earth,  and-  they  can  dream  of  nothing 
more  beautiful ;  and  so  the  Sisterdalian  loves  his  deep 
gorges,  the  stony  mountains  and  the  roaring  river,  beyond 
all  the  fairest  of  the  Texan  domain.  Let  him  love  on  ! 
There  is  no  likelihood  that  encroaching  populations  will  ever 
jostle  these  eagles  in  their  eyrie,  or  invite  them  to  vacate  their 
nests  for  new  comers.  They  devote  themselves  to  cattle- 
raising — and  their  cattle  are  almost  as  gentle  as  themselves — 
and  to  the  cultivation  of  wheat,  corn  and  grapes  in  the  narrow 
vales,  or  wherever  a  stoneless  slope  offers  on  the  declivities. 

The  Guadalupe  has  changed  its  course.  Below  the 
Cretaceous,  it  flows  from  the  north.  Here  it  flows  from  the 
west.  It  is  the  same  sparkling  stream  as  where  I  left  it  m 
the  low^lands,  with  volume  apparently  not  diminished,  but 
how  boldly  different  the  scenery  !  It  is  the  difference 
between  the  mountains  and  the  plains.  Here  it  glances 
and  flashes,  roars,  plunges  and  thunders  ;  but  there  are 
also  many  silent  pools,  through  which  its  blue  waters  creep 
with  a  scarcely  perceptible  motion.  It  is  ever  varying  its 
beauty,  and  each  picture  seems  more  beautiful  than  the 
one  that  preceded.     Thus  I  thought  as  I  rode  along. 

Kode  up  the  valley  fifteen  miles  to  Comfort,  a  pros- 
perous little  German  town  on  the  northern  bank,  and 
passed  the  night. 

Rode  very  leisurely  up  the  valley  twenty  miles  to 
Kerrville,  and  here  I  rest. 


'    IV. 

The  Finest  Country  I  ever  Saw. 

rriHUS  having  ridden  thirty-five  miles  up  this  valley, 
-L  in  a  very  observant  humor,  I  am  prepared  to  express 
an  opinion  of  it;  and  the  above  heading  I  have  written  de- 
liberately. This  upper  Guadalupe  valley  is  as  rich  as  it  is 
beautiful,  as  beautiful  as  it  is  rich,  and  as  delightful  in 
climate  as  it  is  beautiful  in  scenery  or  rich  in  soil.  I  have 
fallen  completely  in  love.  It  winds  through  a  region  of 
noble  highlands,  generally  covered  with  open  forests  of 
oak — grand,  natural  parks — in  which  the  grasses  of  the 
prairie  grow  luxuriantly,  and  ranges  or  groups  of  moun- 
tains diversify  the  scene,  in  the  blue  distance  or  towering 
closely  upon  you.  The  valley  itself  is  perfectly  smooth,  and 
down  its  centre  flows  the  beautiful  river,  bordered  with 
pecans,  elms,  and  gigantic  cypress.  Frequently  it  is  sev- 
eral miles  in  width,  and  over  all  this  expanse  there  is  not 
one  inch  of  soil  that  is  not  deeply,  perhaps  inexhaustibly 
rich  ;  for  do  not  the  neighboring  hills  renew  as  fast  as  cul 
tivation  could  absorb  their  fertility  ?  The  population  is 
still  sparse,  but  the  farms  only  increase  the  native  beauty 
of  the  scenery.  It  is  dead  of  winter,  it  is  true,  but  these 
fields  of  wheat  are  glorious  to  behold.  I  have  seen  noth- 
ing so  luxuriant  elsewhere.  They  absolutely  seem  to  laugh 
with  the  glorious  abundance,  as  if  they  were  conscious  of 
their  superb  merit.  What  there  is  that  is  desirable  in  a 
country,  and  which  may  not  be  had  here,  is  past  my  find- 
ing out.  How  this  valley  will  one  day  swarm  with  a  most 
thrifty  and  happy  population  ! 


152     TWO  THOUSAKD   MILES   i:^  TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK. 

I  scarcely  know  how  it  is,  but  all  of  this  valley  has  been 
continually  reminding  me  of  Greece,  though  I  never  saw 
Greece.  The  skies  are  the  same,  the  climate  the  same, 
and  where  Greece  is  best  and  most  beautiful,  the  countries 
are  the  same.  At  least  such  is  the  thought  that  has  been 
running  involuntarily  through  my  mind  these  two  days 
past ;  and  the  idea  is  so  irresistible  that  it  seems  to  me 
that  Kerrville  is  really  named  Athens  !  The  skies  the 
same,  the  climate  the  same,  the  country  the  same,  why 
may  not  the  upper  Guadalupians  be  great  the  same  as 
Greece  has  been ! 

Wheat. 

Though  cotton,  corn  and  other  grains  grow  quite  as 
well  here  as  elsewhere,  wheat  is  the  favorite  crop  of  the 
farmers,  and  there  is  not  one  who  does  not  devote  a  large 
share  of  his  tillage  to  its  raising.  I  asked  them  if  they 
found  it  profitable  ?  *'  No,'^  said  they,  *^  because  it  grows 
so  well  that  we  are  tempted  to  make  too  much.  It  grows 
so  well  that  it  is  a  pleasure  more  than  a  labor  to  make  it, 
and  we  plant  it  more  for  pleasure  than  the  expectation  of 
profit.  We  are  too  remote  from  market,  and  wheat  is  too 
heavy  to  transport  on  wagons.  If  we  only  had  a  railroad, 
sir,  we  would  grow  too  rich  and  make  the  outside  world 
too  happy  with  abundance  of  good  bread. ^'  They  assured 
me  that  the  crop  is  subject  to  no  disastrous  contingencies 
and  never  fails  to  deliver  its  harvest.  The  droughts  come 
sometimes,  said  they,  but  this  is  in  the  summer,  and  the 
crops  have  matured  long  before  they  come.  They  sow  in 
fall,  and  pasture  their  calves  and  horses  on  the  fields  in 
winter,  which,  they  held,  increased  the  harvest,  and  pre- 
vented it  from  heading  too  early  and  thus  running  the 
risk  of  frost.  The  harvest  varies  from  twenty-five  to  forty 
bushels  per  acre,  but  forty-five,  and  even  more,  is  not  an 
uncommon  product.     They  use  no  fertilizers,  and  no  in- 


TWO   THOUSAN^D   MILES   II^T  TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.     153 

strument  in  the  tillage  but  the  common  plow.  With  the 
use  of  occasional  phosphatic  manures  and  the  improved 
implements  and  methods  for  tillage,  what  might  not  these 
noble  acres  produce  ! 

And  what  splendid  wheat  this  is  !  If  not  the  best  in 
the  world,  it  is  certainly  not  surpassed  by  any  that  is  grown 
elsewhere.  It  usually  weighs  about  sixty-six  pounds  to 
the  bushel,  or  six  pounds  over  the  standard,  and  has  been 
known  to  exceed  seventy  pounds,  as  I  am  told.  A  bushel 
of  this  wheat  will  therefore  furnish  from  six  to  ten  pounds 
more  of  bread  than  a  bushel  of  Illinois  wheat,  which  will 
not  always  yield  so  much  as  sixfcy  pounds  to  the  bushel 
measure.  Whence  this  excessive  weight  and  this  singular 
production  of  bread,  bulk  to  bulk,  as  compared  to  other 
wheats  ?  It  is  in  the  perfect  adaptability  of  the  soil  to  the 
perfect  development  and  maturity  of  the  grain.  The  soil 
which  gives  wheat  its  best  development  is  a  calcareous  mag- 
nesian,  and  here  we  have  that  soil  in  perfection,  mixed 
with  many  other  fertilizing  ingredients.  To  assist  this 
best  development  to  a  perfect  maturity,  a  dry  and  elevated 
atmosphere  under  a  southern  sun  is  necessary,  and  here 
we  have  that  atmosphere,  under  the  brightest  rays  of  a 
sub-tropical  sun.  Thus  soil,  elevation  and  clime  combine 
to  give  to  this  wheat  every  advantage  to  make  it  what  it 
is — unsurpassed,  if  not  the  best  in  the  world. 

What  this  Wheat  offers  the  Texas  Ports. 

It  offers  to  contribute  largely  toward  establishing 
Houston  and  Galveston  among  the  greatest  flour-exporting 
marts  in  the  world.  It  is  known  that  for  transportation 
on  the  high  seas,  and  particularly  southern  seas,  the  south- 
ern has  a  great  advantage  over  western  and  northern  flour. 
The  latter  will  quickly  sour  and  greatly  deteriorate,  while 
the  other  may  be  rocked  on  the  seas  almost  indefinitely 
and  remain  unaffected  ;  because, in  the  sunny  regions  in 


154    TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK. 

which  southern  wheat  matures,  its  moisture  is  completely 
eliminated,  while  in  the  northern  wheat,  it  is  retained.* 
Hence  the  different  effect  of  a  warm,  moist  climate  upon 
these  different  flours  ;  the  northern  ferments,  while  the 
southern  does  not.  For  this  reason  southern  flour  has  a 
special  market  in  New  York,  and  always  commands  a 
fancy  price  as  compared  to  flour  from  other  quarters.  This 
'*  southern  flour"  so-called,  comes  from  Virginia,  Mary- 
land and  North  Carolina  ;  and  if  such  is  the  superiority  of 
the  flour  of  these  comparatively  hyperborean  regions,  how 
much  superior  must  be  the  flour  of  the  sunny  Guadalupe  ! 
Therefore  I  cannot  hazard  much  in  predicting  that  the 
day  is  not  remote  when  the  product  of  these  beautiful 
grain  fields  will  be  the  favorite  brands  in  the  warehouses 
of  exporters,  and  in  Kio,  Mexico  and  the  West  Indies ; 
and  it  is  by  Houston  and  Galveston  that  this  great  com- 
merce must  be  conducted.  Their  nearness  to  these  inex- 
haustible fields  and  the  superiority  of  the  article, will  give 
them  an  advantage  that  will  place  them  beyond  the  reach 
of  competition  by  other  cities.  New  Orleans,  St.  Louis, 
and  Baltimore  or  New  York,  cannot  draw  the  product  of 
these  fields  without  transporting  it  through  Houston  or 
Galveston,  and  would  have  to  add  to  its  price  at  these 
cities  the  cost  of  transportation  to  their  warehouses  or 
wharves.  A  little  three.- foot  railway  running  from  Houston 
up  the  Guadalupe  would  immediately  set  this  great  trade 
in  motion. 

The  People 
of  this  valley  are  fit  to  inhabit  such  a  home ;  and  that 

*  This  is  also  the  reason  why  a  barrel  of  Texas  flour  will  make  so  much  more 
bread  than  a  barrel  of  Ulinois,  or  other  northern  flour.  A  considerable  percent- 
age of  the  latter  is  water,  while  the  former  has  very  little  ;  and  water  does  not 
make  bread.  There  is  therefore  more  flour  in  one  Texas  barrel  than  one  from 
Illinois,  but  how  much  more  is  not  exactly  ascertained.  An  old  baker  in  Houston, 
Mr.  Jiio.  Kennedy,  told  the  writer  of  this  note  that  fourteen  ounces  of  flour  from 
north  Texas  jpiade  WAyre  bread  than  sixteen  of  the  best  from  Illinois. 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.     155 

seems  to  me  about  as  higli  praise  as  I  could  pass  upon 
them.  They  are  intelligent  and  hospitable ;  mostly 
Americans  from  the  Southern  and  Western  States,  and  a 
good  many  Germans.  While  riding  and  conversing  among 
them,  I  could  hardly  realize  that  I  was  on  the  remote  fron- 
tier, where  men  are  supposed  to  be  unkempt  and  ill-man- 
nered ;  yet  another  day's  journey  westward  would  place  me 
in  a  region  uninhabited,  except  by  wild  beasts  and  prowl- 
ing savages.  They  dwell  in  neat  houses  of  stone,  and 
many  of  the  damsels  are  as  pretty  as  lilies.  Truly, 
female  beauty  flourishes  everywhere,  and  man  is  the  hap- 
pier for  it. 

Atheka, 

for  such  I  will  call  it — is  an  assemblage  of  residences, 
whereof  each  stands  on  a  five-acre  lot,  with  a  due  quantity 
of  stores  all  in  a  row,  and  the  usual  concomitants  of  churches 
and  schools.  The  five  acres  are  skilfully  and  thoroughly 
tilled,  so  that  every  inhabitant  lives  in  the  midst  of  a  farm 
in  the  midst  of  a  city.  Thus  Athena,  unlike  any  other  city, 
lives  or  may  live,  entirely  upon  herself.  Her  architecture 
is  all  of  stone,  generally  pretty,  and  in  her  court-house  it 
is  imposing.  Why  did  not  the  Athenans  build  this  stately 
court-house  on  the  pattern  of  the  Parthenon?  for  then 
the  illusion  that  this  is  Greece  would  have  been  complete. 
Its  modern  structure  seems  to  me  a  violent  anachronism. 
Athena  boasts  a  newspaper,  ^^  The  Frontiersman,"  and  I 
do  not  know  that  I  ever  read  a  paper  with  more  interest. 
It  is  terse,  vivacious,  sensible,  and  I  thought  of  Pericles 
and  Aspasia.  Athena  has  five  or  six  hundred  people,  and 
the  day  was  when  Athens  had  not  so  many. 

This  seems  to  be  the  headquarters  of  the  buyers  of 
beeves,  from  St.  Louis  and  other  cities  of  the  west.  They 
tell  me  that  forty  or  fifty  thousand  beeves  are  sold  here 
each  year,  at  twelve  to  eighteen  dollars  a  head — making 


156     TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK. 

about  three  quarters  of  a  million  dollars  annually  turned 
loose  upon  these  little  streets.  The  cattle-man  contracts 
with  the  buyers  to  deliver  so  many  beeves  on  a  day  certain, 
and  forthwith  despatches  his  boys  into  the  wilderness  to 
gather  and  drive  them  up.  The  boys  have  a  grand  sport 
of  it,  and  sometimes  enjoy  a  few  pitched  battles  or  rough 
and  tumble  fights  with  the  Indians,  but  they  are  sure  to 
deliver  their  charge  in  good  season.  Father  then  receives 
his  money  and  retires  to  his  home  on  his  five-acre  lot,  to 
enjoy  his  ease  while  his  flocks  are  industriously  making  him 
another  herd  of  beeves,  to  be  converted  into  gold  in  their 
turn.  A  cattle-man  who  has  boys,  is  here  a  prince  at  ease; 
and  this  is  better  than  living  in  the  midst  of  his  cattle. 

If  a  railroad  were  here,  what  a  business  it  would  have 
in  transporting  beeves  !  This  alone  would  make  it  rich, 
and  the  buyers  would  be  saved  the  expense  and  risk  of  the 
tedious  drive. 

Night  in  Athena. 

The  moon  is  pouring  a  flood  of  silver  light  upon  the 
little  city  ;  the  air  is  vernal,  and  Athena  is  still  as  a  mouse. 
No  rumbling  busses,  no  whirling  carriages,  no  carousing 
bacchanals  here.  I  listen  if  I  may  not  catch  the  notes  of  a 
piano  floating  on  the  breeze,  accompanied  with  a  voice  of 
sweeter  melody.  The  song  of  a  white-throated  songster 
occasionally  reached  me,  and  I  hear  the  music  of  the 
Guadalupe  rolling  its  sparkling  tide  over  the  rocky  chan- 
nel ;  but  the  note  of  the  piano  is  not  here.  There  is  not  a 
piano  in  Athena.  It  is  not  surprising  ;  for  how  could  a 
rich  Grand  or  a  voluptuous  Steinway  stand  a  voyage  in  an 
ox-wagon  over  these  stony  hills  ?  The  ladies  of  Athena 
must  wait  for  the  rail.  And  here  I  think  I  may  feel  a 
secret  sort  of  satisfaction  and  right  honest  pride  in  the 
reflection, that  they  will  be  partially  at  least  indebted  to  me 
for  their  pianos  when  they  get  them  ;  for  have  I  not  con- 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN  TEXA3   ON   HORSEBACK.     157 

tributed  a  good  many  round  thousands  and  much  good 
muscle  in  putting  a  road  on  foot  that  may  reach  them  ? 
An  honest,  manly  satisfaction  with  one's  self  need  not 
argue  egotism  or  personal  vanity  ;  and  I  am  not  ashamed 
of  the  feeling  here  recorded,  though  'tis  myself  that  re- 
cords it.  Who  would  not  be  proud  to  serve  Athena's 
ladies  ? 


Y. 


GrEOLOGICAL   RETROSPECTIONS. 

DUEING  the  night  a  cloud  passed  over  the  valley  and 
shook  from  its  wings  a  shower  of  dew-drops  :  so 
that  when  I  mounted  my  horse  and  rode  up  the  river,  all 
nature  seemed  to  sparkle  with  diamonds.  And  though 
this  is  mid-winter,  the-  air  is  still  like  that  of  spring.  How 
different  to-day  in  the  land  whence  I  came.  There  doubt- 
less the  earth  is  wrapped  in  sleet  and  snow,  and  instead  of 
zephyrs,  the  wind  howls  a  fearful  storm.  Some  may  de- 
light in  the  snow-scenes,  the  icicled  forest  and  the  nipping 
Arctic  winds;  but  give  me  the  green  prairies,  the  flowery 
valleys,  the  hazy  mountains,  and  Zephyr  with  Aurora  may- 
ing  :  in  other  words,  give  me  Texas  ! 

The  geology  of  this  country  is  full  of  interest  to 
those  who  have -a  fondness  for  such  research  and  specula- 
tion, as  I  have.  Indeed,  so  great  is  my  fondness  for  it 
that  I  can  travel  over  no  region  to  which  it  does  not  give 
a  new  charm;  and  it  gives  me  abundant  company  in  all  my 
solitary  rides.  Every  stone  has  a  wonderful  story  to  tell 
me,  if  I  have  the  ears  to  hear  it.  They  are  historians 
whose  volumes  are  infinitely  more  remarkable  than  those 
traced  by  human  pens  ;  for  they  tell  of  the  achievements 
of  the  Great  Architect,  and  how  and  by  what  agencies  he 
worked  ;  of  the  rise,  progress  and  fall  of  the  races  that 
preceded  ;  and  prophets,  too,  they  may  be,  of  man's  des- 
tiny and  the  higher  races  that  may  succeed  him.  This 
little  historian,  however  humble  he  may  appear, — this  lit- 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IIS"   TEXAS   ON    HOKSEBACK.      159 

tie  pebble  that  I  hold  in  my  hand  as  I  ride  along,  was  an 
atom  of  the  original  fiery  ocean,  and  saw  the  Great  Archi- 
tect when  he  laid  the  foundations  of  the  globe  and  built 
thereon.  Longer  than  he  has  been,  he  will  continue  to 
be.  To  my  mind,  these  rocks  and  the  stars  of  heaven  are 
the  revelation  and  the  inspiration  by  which  the  Architect 
would  have  his  creatures  read  him  ;  and  if  perchance  they 
lead  us  into  doctrines  strange  and  erroneous,  the  error 
must  be  a  pardonable  one  in  the  eyes  of  Him  who  gave 
them  to  us  to  teach  us,  and  gave  us  our  ears  to  hear  them. 
Thus  while  I  ride  along  the  vale  of  the  Guadalupe,  I  listen 
to  the  voice  of  His  historians,  and  adore  Him  of  whom 
they  tell. 

The  formation  here  is  the  lower  Cretaceous,  and  the 
strewn  boulders  tell  of  the  closeness  of  still  older  beds.  The 
Ammonite  is  a  very  common  fossil  here,  some  of  them  of  as 
great  circumference  as  a  cart-wheel.  I  saw  two  fragments 
of  this  class  of  fossils,  one  a  Hmnite  and  the  other  a 
Crioceras  ;  both  peculiar  to  the  lowest  Cretaceous  beds. 
They  were  exhibited  to  me  by  a  farmer,  who  had  picked 
them  out  of  the  Guadalupe  and  kept  them  about  his  house 
as  curiosities.  "  This,"  said  he,  ^'is  a  petrified  cow's-tafl, 
and  this  is  a  buck's  horn  ;  but  he  must  have  been  a  big 
one  to  carry  such  a  thing  as  this  on  his  head."  When  I 
told  him  that  they  were  ancient  sea-shells,  he  was  of 
opinion  that  I  was  mistaken,  and  still  held  to  the  cow- tail 
theory.  He  then  showed  me  a  fossil  which  was  clearly 
the  tooth  of  the  iguanodon.  "  Now,"  said  he,  *^this  thing 
is  sorter  strange,  but  I  have  studied  it  out  that  it  was  some 
sort  of  a  weapon  made  by  the  Injuns." 

^^No,  sir,"  said  I,  after  fingering  it  well,  and  scrutiniz- 
ing it  with  melancholy  interest,  '^this  is  the  mortal  re- 
mains— the  last  tooth  that  is  left,  sir,  of  the  great  Iguan- 
odon— the  great  Lizard  of  the  Ancient  World,  whose  body 
was  sixty  feet  in  length  and  thirty  feet  in  girth  ;  who  wore 


160     TWO   THOUSAND   MILES    IN"   TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK. 

a  great  horn  on  his  head  whose  weight  was  hundreds  of 
pounds  ;  in  short,  sir,  this  is  the  tooth  of  the  Great  Dragon 
of  Ancient  Days." 

He  looked  at  me  a  moment  and  quietly  said  : 

^^  You  be  dam!" 

After  a  moment  he  contemptuously  kicked  with  his 
foot  another  fossil  which  he  saw  lying  on  the  gallery  be- 
fore him.  ^^  And  that/'  said  he,  ^^is  a  petrified  wasp's 
nest." 

^^  No,  sir,"  said  I,  as  I  held  the  fossil  in  my  hand  and 
gazed  upon  it  with  melancholy  interest,  "this  is  a  frag- 
ment of  the  '  coral  groves  deep  in  the  sea,'  through  which 
the  mermaidens  wandered  and  led  their  lives  of  bliss. 
Perhaps  upon  this  very  fragment  they  sat  and  sang  and 
combed  their  locks.  Sir,  right  over  this  spot  where  we 
stand  rolled  the  Cretaceous  Ocean,  and  here  grew  this 
coral  on  which  the  mermaidens  sat  and  combed  their  locks. 
That  was  in  the  long,  long  time  ago,  and  all  the  mer- 
maidens are  now  dead." 

He  became  very  reticent,  and  looked  at  me  with  an  ex- 
pression which  seemed  to  say  :  "  Well,  ding  you,  if  you 
were  not  in  my  house,  I'd  like  to  give  you  a  good  licking, 
if  I  could."     He  measured  my  heft  with  his  eyes. 

How  different  this  scene  to-day  from  what  it  was  then  \ 
Then,  indeed,  a  mighty  ocean  was  here,  whose  great  bil- 
lows broke  on  the  granite  walls  evidently  not  far  off,  bear- 
ing fleets  of  ammonites  and  crioceras  ;  the  monster  moso- 
saurus  sported  in  the  foam  or  pursued  the  flying  prey ;  its 
shores  covered  with  glorious  forests  of  ferns  and  palms, 
resounding  with  the  bellowing  of  iguanodonsin  battle,  con- 
tending for  the  mastery  of  the  young  world.  They  did 
not  know  that  they  were  but  links,  doomed  to  extinction, 
in  the  chain  that  leads  to  man.  And  man  does  not  know 
but  that  he  is  but  a  link,  doomed  to  extinction,  in  the 
chain  that  leads  to  a  higher  nature  ! 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IK  TEXAS   OK   HOKSEBACK.     161 

If  one  could  revert  back  and  see  with  his  natural  eyes 
what  has  been,  sail  on  those  seas  and  converse  with  those 
monsters,  might  he  not  read  the  future  ?  One  is  as  easy 
as  the  other.     Knowledge  is  Futurity  as  well  as  the  Past. 

Heavek. 

If  the  soul  is  immortal,  as  I  think  it  is,  and  we  become, 
after  we  have  passed  the  river,  purely  intellectual  exist- 
ences, knowledge-loving  and  knowledge-seeking,  what  a 
grand,  eternal  field  have  we  for  investigation,  in  the  Archi- 
tect's infinite  works  !  When  we  have  explored  this  planet 
and  learned  it  all,  and  lived  it  all,  perhaps  assisted  by  the 
lips  of  some  great  archangel  who  was  present  at  the  foun- 
dation, what  will  prevent  us,  embodied  ethereal  essences, 
from  winging  our  flight  to  another  planet,  and  another, 
and  another,  through  an  eternity  of  knowledge  and  adora- 
tion of  Him  who  made  all  these  ?  Such  is  an  occupation 
worthy  of  angels  and  existences  all  intellectual.  But  how 
would  the  whore-master,  the  cheat,  the  swindler,  the  sor- 
did m^an  enjoy  all  of  these  ?  They  must  be  provided  with 
different  occupations.  When  one  steps  across  the. river, 
he  is  fortunate  if  he  can  take  with  him  a  mind  stored  with 
knowledge  and  filled  with  the  love  of  the  works  of  Him 
who  made  him.  If  he  does  not,  I  cannot  well  perceive 
what  he  will  do  when  he  crosses  the  river. 

Such  is  my  idea  of  Heaven.  It  is  not  that  of  every 
one.  I  once  talked  with  a  negro  woman  in  a  southern 
State,  who  was  noted  for  her  religious  fervor.  When  she 
attended  a  meeting  she  never  failed  to  strike  great  awe 
among  the  negroes  by  the  singular  fervor  of  her  demeanor, 
both  while  the  meeting  was  in  progress  and  for  some  time 
after  it  had  adjourned.  She  was  loud  and  incoherent  in 
her  praises  of  God  and  the  intense  happiness  that  comes 
from  religion.  She  accompanied  these  expressions  with 
strange  physical  demonstrations,  which  seemed  to  me  much 


162     TWO   THOUSAND    MILES   IN   TEXAS    ON   HORSEBACK. 

like  those  of  a  maniac  or  one  who  had  lost  all  reason  ;  but 
the  negroes  seemed  to  regard  them  as  proof  of  the  highest 
development  of  piety,  and  looked  on  with  awe,  not  un- 
mixed with  envy  of  her  good  fortune  in  being  so  favored 
of  God.  I  asked  this  woman  what  she  thought  was  the 
occupation  of  souls  after  they  had  passed  into  eternal  bliss. 
She  said  she  had  been  to  Heaven  in  a  trance  and  knew  all 
about  it.  Heaven  was  a  gi-eat  plain  filled  with  houses  of 
gold,  and  silver  trees.  The  angels  wandered  over  the  plains 
shouting  and  singing,  and  when  they  felt  inclined  to  eat, 
there  were  great  numbers  of  roasted  pigs  runping  about 
bearing  knives  and  forks  in  their  mouths,  and  the  blessed 
angels  only  needed  to  call  them  to  them  and  eat  their  fill. 
I  asked  her  if  she  would  not  tire  of  shouting  and  singing 
and  eating  roasted  pig  ;  but  she  had  no  conception  that 
she  ever  would.  Her  mind  was  evidently  never  ruffled  by 
a  single  doubt ;  she  received  every  word  of  the  preacher, 
however  ignorant  and  stupid,  as  God's  truth,  and  she  ap- 
peared a  very  paragon  of  religion  ;  and  yet  I  could  not 
help  but  think  that  an  honest  doubt  in  my  mind  was  more 
pleasing  in  God's  sight  than  all  her  boundless  religion. 
What  will  this  poor  creature  do,  if  she  finds  Heaven  not 
filled  with  roasted  pigs  ?  I  have  heard  that  this  woman 
afterwards  produced  several  bastards  ;  a  fact  which  must 
have  caused  wide-spread  demoralization  in  the  minds  of 
the  negroes  who  had  held  her  in  such  devout  esteem  as  a 
model  of  godliness. 

Knowledge  is  not  only  Power,  but  it  is  Life  ;  and  the 
love  of  it  is  Life  also.  ^*  The  soul  that  thirsteth  shall  be 
filled,"  and  it  is  impossible  for  it  to  be  filled  in  the  circum- 
scribed sphere  of  mortality. 

A  Strange  Encounter. — Javalinas. 

About  five  miles  above  Athena — otherwise  called  Kerr- 
yille — my  pathway  left  the  Guadalupe  and  diverged  to  the 


TWO   THOUSAI^D   MILES   IK   TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK.      163 

north-east,  going  up  a  valley  about  a  half  mile  in  width, 
but  constricting  as  I  ascended  it.  It  is  walled  in  by  stony 
ridge  and  precipice.  There  are  many  beautiful  live-oak 
groves  and  pretty  sites  for  small  farms,  but  no  farm  is 
visible.  This  valley  is  virgin,  whose  bosom  no  plow  has 
touched.  There  are  clusters  of  wild  grapes,  hardly  bigger 
than  duck-shot,  of  which  I  plucked  and  ate,  and  found 
them  not  unpleasant,  but  of  sharp,  sprightly  acidity. 
Birds  of  many  varieties  fed  on  these  grapes,  and  some  of 
them  raised  a  great  clamor  as  they  crushed  the  acidulous 
globules  between  their  bills.  Some  six  or  seven  miles  up 
the  valley  I  saw  a  company  of  hogs,  in  full  view,  but  a  few 
hundred  yards  off.  Thinking  a  farm  must  be  near,  I 
fired  my  gun,  hoping  a  dog  would  bark  and  guide  me  to  it. 
Instantly  on  the  report  of  my  rifle,  these  hogs  dashed  out 
of  the  brush  from  several  plaQCS,  hoofing  as  they  ran,  and 
smacking  their  mouths  at  a  great  rate.  They  formed  in  a 
squad,  about  sixty  yards  from  the  road,  ahead  of  me,  and  as 
I  approached  them  they  seemed  to  grow  exceedingly  in- 
dignant ;  all  hands  bristling  u])  their  backs  and  popping 
their  jaws  together  as  if  they  had  a  notion  of  making  a 
meal  of  me.  When  about  a  hundred  yards  from  them,  the 
largest  advanced  to  the  front,  deliberately  began  to  ap- 
proach me,  looking  the  very  picture  of  wrath  and  indigna- 
tion, as  if  he  craved  the  honor  of  disposing  of  me  at  once, 
without  assistance.  As  he  advanced,  the  others  expressed 
their  applause  by  rounds  of  hoofs  and  a  great  popping  of 
the  jaws.  My  horse  became  uneasy,  and  as  the  advancing 
rascal  seemed  bent  on  battle  and  displayed  two  formidable 
tusks,  I  became  uneasy  in  tuivn,  and  thinking  I  had  better 
look  out  for  my  safety,  I  raised  my  rifle  and  sent  a  mass 
of  lead  through  his  body.  He  fell  dead.  .  The  others  on 
seeing  this  raised  a  bigger  hoofing  and  popping  than  ever, 
and  I  expected  a  charge  en  masse,  but  as  they  were  not 
precipitate  about  it,  I  dismounted  to  view  the  dead  duellist. 


164    TWO  THOUSAKD   MILES   IJST  TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK. 

The  others  then  retired  toward  the  brush,  slowly  and  dog- 
gedly, going  mostly  tail  foremost.  When  in  the  brush 
they  disappeared,  but  I  still  heard  them  hoofing  and  pop- 
ping quite  near  at  hand,  as  if  they  were  still  undetermined 
whether  to  charge  upon  me  or  not.  I  had  no  doubt  I 
could  easily  get  a  battle  out  of  them,  if  I  chose  to  court  it. 
As  I  approached  the  dead  brave,  who  deliberately 
brought  on  his  own  destruction  by  marching  out  to  attack 
a  heavily  armed  traveller,  who  had  in  nowise  interfered 
with  him,  my  nostrils  were  assaulted  by  a  fog  of  odor, 
which  was  well-nigh  unendurable.  Seeing  I  had  slain  a 
peccary,  I  determined  to  learn  all  about  him,  let  him  stink 
never  so  loudly.  I  judged  him  to  weigh  about  sixty  pounds, 
and  therefore  about  the  size  of  a  small  hog  or  shoat.  His 
head  was  too  big  for  his  body,  and  his  short,  thick  neck 
showed  that  he  had  great  strength.  His  hair  was  coarse 
and  bristly,  and  so  long  about  the  neck  that  it  might 
almost  be  called  a  mane.  He  had  a  mere  stump  where  the 
tail  ought  to  be,  and  this  was  evidently  not  the  result  of  a 
misfortune  or  surgical  operation,  for  I  observed  no  tail  on 
his  friends.  His  color  was  of  a  darkish  yellow  or  dirty 
red,  and  the  hairs  were  ringed  with  various  marks  or 
shades.  There  was  a  faint  band  of  white  at  the  root  of  the 
neck,  partly  on  each  shoulder,  resembling  a  collar.  He 
bore  his  perfume  on  his  back,  close  to  the  tail,  in  a  lump 
or  swelling  quite  as  big  as  the  fist.  As  this  lump  was  con- 
tinually discharging  its  odor,  I  forbore  to  examine  it 
closely.  This  odor  was  musk,  and  in  small  doses  might 
not  be  unpleasant,  but  as  he  gave  it  forth,  it  was  certainly 
tremendous,  insomuch  that  I  required  to  have  great  reso- 
lution to  stay  by  him.  He  differed  from  a  hog  in  that  his 
head  was  more  pointed,  his  ears  much  smaller  and  almost 
buried  in  the  hair,  and  his  formidable  tusks  turned  up- 
ward instead  of  backward.  On  his  hind  feet  he  had  but 
one  upper  toe,  instead  of  two  as  the  common  hog.     I  am 


TWO    THOUSAND    MILES   IK   TEXAS    OK    HORSEBACK.      165 

told  that  they  live  on  nuts,  roots  and  berries,  and  scorn  to 
eat  the  uncleanly  food  which  the  domestic  hog  will  revel 
in.  The  Texans  sometimes  eat  them,  and  say  that  when 
fat  they  make  a  very  fair  pork  or  bacon,  if  the  stink  paunch 
is  taken  off  as  soon  as  they  are  shot.  If  it  is  left  on  even 
for  a  few  moments,  the  whole  body  becomes  infiltrated 
and  cannot  be  eaten. 

The  Texans  sometimes  call  these  animals  Javalinas,  the 
Mexican  name,  but  generally  the  musk  hog.  They  some- 
times enter  a  cultivated  field  and  play  havoc.  Dogs  are 
mortally  afraid  of  them  and  cannot  be  induced  to  attack 
them.  The  Texans  say  they  are  the  most  dangerous  ani- 
mals in  the  country — panthers,  bears,  wolves  and  lions 
being  as  nothing  compared  to  them  in  courage  and  fero- 
city. If  a  man  on  foot  encounters  them,  his  only  hope  is 
to  climb  a  tree,  and  they  will  then  hang  round  him  some- 
times for  hours.  They  are  probably  the  gamest  rascals  on 
earth,  and  as  I  studied  their  cranial  development,  I  could 
not  help  thinking  that  there  is  truth  in  phrenology. .  Mur- 
derers and  other  ferocious  villains  are  generally  largely 
developed  about  the  ears  and  neck,  and  these  rascals  have 
this  murderous  mark  to  an  inordinate  degree.  It  is  said 
that  they  are  always  ready  for  a  fight,  and  becoming  once 
engaged,  they  know  no  retreat. 

The  writers  on  natural  history  do  not  know  everything 
of  which  they  write.  They  say  that  the  peccary  is  found 
only  in  South  America,  and  this  I  know  not  to  be  so.  It 
is  quite  common  all  over  Western  Texas,  particularly  in 
regions  that  are  thinly  settled,  or  not  settled  at  all.  I 
inquired  if  these  creatures  ever  crossed  with  the  common 
hog  and  bred  hybrid  varieties.  I  was  told  that  no  such  in- 
stance had  ever  been  witnessed.  It  is  probable  that  if  a 
flock  of  common  hogs  should  unwarily  stroll  upon  a  flock 
of  these  creatures,  they  would  be  immediately  set  upon 
and  demolished. 


OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY 


166     TWO   THOUSAND    MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON    HOKSEBACK. 


Anchoritic. 

The  valley  terminates  in  a  nook  whose  secluded  beanty 
contrasts  singularly  with  the  stony  escarpments,  the 
bronzed  and  shrivelled  thickets,  and  the  black  precipices 
that  frown  upon  it.  Pleasant  little  groves  of  live-oak, 
shady  recesses  and  sparkling  brooks  are  here,  with  none 
but  the  chance  wayfarer  to  love  them.  This  is  a  pretty 
little  spot  of  the  globe  not  possessed  :  a  dear  little  lassie 
without  a  laddie,  and  yet  so  capable  of  filling  some  laddie's 
heart  with  all  the  warmth  and  happiness  of  love.  It  is  be- 
cause she  is  so  seclusive  and  retiring  that  the  laddies  while 
loving  her,  fear  to  pursue.  I  thought  it  would  make  so 
blessed  a  retreat  for  some  anchorite,  who  wishes  to  with- 
draw from  the  world  and  devote  his  life  to  innocence  and 
holy  contemplation.  The  stony  precipices,  the  bronzed 
thickets  and  the  stern  country  around  would  remind  him 
of  the  world,  with  its  sins  and  troubles,  from  which  he  had 
withdrawn,  and  the  smooth,  green  nook  would  keep  ever 
present  to  his  mind  the  innocence  and  heaven  he  seeks. 
But  how  it  my  anchorite,  while  strolling  on  foot,  absorbed 
in  his  holy  contemplation,  should  step  unawares  into  a  herd 
of  peccaries  ?  He  would  be  obliged  to  climb  a  tree,  and 
while  thus  imprisoned,  and  the  furious,  popping  beasts 
standing  guard  around  him,  what  would  become  of  his  in- 
nocence, his  philosophy  and  holy  contemplation  ?  When 
I  reflected  on  this,  I  thought  if  I  should  turn  anchorite  I 
would  seek  other  quarters. 

And  yet  how  cheaply  and  well  he  could  live  here,  bar- 
ring the  discomfort  arising  from  danger  of  peccaries.  Any 
Guadalupe  farmer  would  sell  him  a  bushel  of  the.  finest 
wheat  in  the  world  for  fifty  cents,  so  that  his  flour  should 
not  cost  over  two  cents  a  pound,  or  five  dollars  forty-seven 
and  a  half  cents  a  year.  His  meat  and  lard  need  cost  him 
only  the  price  of  the  powder  and  lead  for  a  single  charge 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   1^   TEXAS   OIsT   HORSEBACK.     167 

of  his  rifle  ;  for  with  one  shot  he  could  secure  a  bear  which 
would  yield  him  two  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  of  bacon 
and  at  least  thirty-five  pounds  of  excellent  lard  or  oil. 
This  would  furnish  him  a  year  without  the  least  effort  at 
stinting.  The  salt  to  cure  it  would  not  exceed  a  dollar, 
and  yet  leave  him  abundance  to  season  his  food  during  the 
rest  of  the  year.  The  ammunition  to  secure  this  bacon 
and  lard,  I  estimate  exorbitantly  at  one  cent.  Coffee  he 
would  rarely  care  for,  but  we  will  allow  him  ten  pounds  a 
year,  costing  two  dollars  and  fifty  cents.  He  would  need 
no  sugar,  because  he  could  readily  secure  a  bee-tree,  or 
enter  a  bee-cave  in  the  rocks  and  despoil  it.  Thus  I  esti- 
mate the  entire  cost  of  his  provender  as  not  necessarily 
exceeding  seven  dollars  and  ninety-eight  cents  a  year,  or 
about  sixty-six  cents  a  month,  or  two  and  a  quarter  cents 
a  day.  He  could  vary  this  fare  greatly  without  increasing 
the  cost  perceptibly,  with  trout  from  the  brook,  or  venison 
or  turkey  from  the  hills,  and  abundant  store  of  grapes 
and  berries.  I  believe  that  venison  and  turkey  would  be 
better  viand  for  him,  in  his  peculiar  circumstances,  than 
bear-meat,  as  being  less  stimulating  and  provocative. 

The  cost  of  dress  would  be  a  trifle,  as  he  would  soon 
rig  up  a  suit  of  buckskin,  which  would  last  him  indefi- 
nitely. Five  dollars  a  year  would  be  a  very  large  allow- 
ance under  this  score.  There  might  be  some  need  of  soap, 
but  the  cost  of  this  would  be  so  infinitesimal  that  it  is  un- 
necessary to  include  it  in  the  estimq-te,  Thus  we  have  all 
that  is  wanted  to  keep  him  fat  and  hefirty?  at  twelve  dol- 
lars and  ninety-eight  cents  a  year,  or  one  dollar  eight  and 
one-sixth  cents  a  month,  or  about  three  and  three-fifth 
cents  a  day. 

]^o^v  let  us  look  on  the  other  side  of  the  sheet.  Of 
CQurse  our  anchorite  would  not  wish  to  pass  his  life  away 
in  nothing  but  holy  contemplatioi]^  and  rest ;  for  this 
would  be  a  sin  and  in  violation  qf  the  divine  law— r*^  by 


168     TWO   THOUSAIS'D   MILES   IN   TEXAS   OK    UOESEBACK. 

the  sweat  of  thy  brow  shalt  thou  eat  bread."  Some  labo- 
rious exercise  would  be  requisite  to  his  health.  He  would 
therefore  enclose  a  twenty-five  acre  field,  of  which  he  would 
plant  fifteen  acres  to  corn,  and  ten  to  sweet  potatoes,  as 
being  crops  that  are  easily  tilled.  This  would  yield  him, 
ordinarily,  six  hundred  bushels  of  corn  and  two  thousand 
bushels  of  potatoes.  He  would  save  fifty  bushels  corn 
for  his  pony,  and  sell  the  balance  at  twenty-five  cents  a 
bushel,  netting  one  hundred  and  thirty-seven  dollars  and 
fifty  cents.  Of  the  potatoes,  he  might  save  one  hundred 
bushels  for  his  own  use  and  for  seed,  and  sell  the  rest  at 
twenty-five  cents  per  bushel — netting  four  hundred  and 
seventy-five  dollars.  Thus  we  have  the  statement  of  his 
income  and  expenditures : 

Annual  Income  from  field  prodncts $612  50 

"       Expenditure  for  food  and  clothing,  etc $12  98 

*'       Taxes,  50  cents  on  the  $100  of  realty 1  00—13  98 

Net  annual  profit $598  52 

This  he  would  probably  send  to  Houston  or  Galveston 
or  San  Antonio,  to  be  invested  in  mortgages  on  the  real 
estate  of  widows,  bearing  twelve  per  cent.  These  pledges 
would  of  course  be  forfeited,  and  he  would  in  a  few  years 
find  himself  the  owner  of  storehouses  of  brick  and  stone, 
receiving  a  large  annual  rental.  It  is  at  this  point  that 
the  Devil  may  step  in  and  cheat  him  of  all  his  philosophy 
and  holiness,  and  he  be  confronted  at  last  with  the  hard 
conditions  of  the  camel,  to  go  through  the  eye  of  a  needle 
or  be  lost.     It  is  thus  that  men  grow  rich. 

Ikcompkehensible. 

And  when  I  think  of  the  fat  comforts  of  this  anchorite 

—barring  the  peccaries — and  his  easy  road  into  wealth,  I 

cannot  but  wonder  at  the  singular  folly  of  some  men,  who, 

in  spite  of  pinching  penury,  will  stay  in  the  cities ;  the 


TWO   THOUSAND    MILES    IN   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.     169 

seedy  lawyers,  the  quaking  merchants, and  the  poor  editors. 
I  know  some  of  these  whose  bellies  are  said  to  have  become 
accustomed  to  no  other  food  but  smoked  herring  and  water- 
crackers,  with  such  tit-bits  as  they  may  pick  up  in  saloons 
during  lunch  time.  And  yet  they  will  stay  there  and  put 
up  with  all  of  this  hard  fare,  when  they  could  come  to 
these  nooks,  and  live  on  the  fat  of  the  land  and  grow  rich. 
One  of  these  pinched  and  purple  men  remarked  to  me  that 
what  he  suffered  here,  he  would  not  suffer  in  heaven.  I 
told  him  I  thought  there  was  no  need  of  his  suffering  either 
here  or  in  heaven,  and  the  suffering  which  we  bring  upon 
ourselves  by  willful  blindness  is  no  recommendation  to  us 
in  another  world  ;  wherein  I  spoke  of  my  judgment,  not 
of  my  knowledge.* 

Elevated. 

Rising  out  of  the  cove,  I  felt  myself  lifted  distinctly  far 
above  the  vale  of  the  Guadalupe.  It  is  two  thousand  feet 
or  more  above  the  sea.  The  clear  atmosphere  enabled  me 
to  see  that  the  country  beyond  the  Guadalupe,  though  ele- 
vated, sits  much  below  it,  and  in  the  north  and  west  it 
rises  by  steps.  As  far  as  I  could  sweep  to  the  north  and 
west  with  my  glass,  it  is  a  region  of  ridges,  mountains, 
ravines,  valleys  and  table-lands,  all  covered  with  a  thin 
growth  of  oak  or  thickets  of  cedar.  Only  the  valleys  and 
table-lands  are  arable  ;  but  all  is  excellent  for  stock.  It 
is  a  vast  solitude,  in  which  no  one  dwells,  but  is  frequently 
scoured  by  the  stockmen,  gathering  beeves  or  branding 
calves.  It  is  populous  of  bears,  panthers,  wolves  and  pec- 
carries,  and  an  occasional  dread  Comanche.  Tlie  sportsman 
cannot  go  amiss  for  a  jolly  time,  and  may  lose  his  scalp. 

*  I  Have  known  several  instances  of  men  in  Texas  leading  the  solitary  life 
of  the  anchorite,  and  finally  emerging  with  more  money  than  they  knew  what  to 
do  with.  Some  embarked  in  trade  in  cities,  but  usually  went  back  to  solitude 
after  a  short  venture.  A  few  were  killed  by  Indians  and  one  went  crazy.  I 
have  not  known  one  yet  to  get  married. 

8 


170   two  thousand  miles  ik  texas  ok  hokseback. 

Dismal. 

A  few  miles  over  the  lofty  ridge,  I  descended  into  a 
deep,  narrow  gorge,  down  which  ran  a  brook.  The  timber 
and  brush  were  so  thick,  and  the  walls  of  stone  on  each 
side  so  close  and  high  that  the  sun  was  quite  shut  out. 
Everything  was  so  still  that  the  clangor  of  my  horse's  feet 
over  the  occasional  piles  of  loose  rock,  was  painful,  and 
went  out  and  re-echoed  through  the  gorge.  The  country 
looked  murderous  and  Indiany,  and  a  suspicion  came  to  my 
mind  that  the  red  rascals  might  hear  the  noise.  I  became 
as  melancholy  as  the  gorge,  and  fain  would  creep  along  as 
stealthily  as  a  fox.  A  bird  occasionally  flitted  across  my 
path,  and  the  sound  of  his  wings  was  oppressive.  How 
would  the  war-whoop  of  a  painted  savage  sound  through 
this  melancholy  vale  ?  The  reflection  almost  made  my 
blood  run  cold.  I  would  not  care  so  much  if  he  would 
come  one  at  a  time  and  meet  me  in  the  open  field  ;  but 
how,  if  out  of  that  dark  thicket  that  I  must  pass  through, 
he  should,  unseen,  despatch  an  arrow  through  my  heart  ! 

Unearthly  ? 

The  water  in  the  limpid  brook  looked  so  cool  and  re- 
freshing that  I  dismounted  to  take  a  drink.  I  kneeled 
down,  with  my  knees  upon  a  rock,  my  left  hand  on  another, 
and  thus  poised  over  the  stream,  inclined  downward  till 
my  lips  touched  the  water.  I  had  thrown  my  bridle  over 
the  limb  of  a  tree.  While  in  this  graceful  position,  my 
ears  were  suddenly  assaulted  with  an  unearthly  sound  :  so 
it  appeared.  I  felt  my  hat  lifted  up  on  my  head,  and 
sweat  broke  out  on  my  brow.  I  seized  the  bridle  hastily 
and  leaped  into  the  saddle.  My  horse  seemed  agitated, 
probably  catching  the  infection  from  myself.  I  heard  the 
noise  again,  apparently  from  the  bluff  over  the  chasm,  a 
hundred  yards  below,  and  instantly,  when  it  ceased,  a  loud 


TWO   TH0USA:N^D    miles    in   TEXAS    ON   HORSEBACK.     171 

"  ha  !  ha — ha  h  ha  !  ha  ! " — broke  out  from  the  brush  not 
twenty  steps  below  me,  as  it  seemed. 

I  cannot  say  exactly  how  I  felt  at  this  moment,  but  a 
grim  resolution  suddenly  nerved  me,  and  I  laughed  a  little 
laugh  as  I  determined  to  give  them  the  best  I  had.  Were 
they  painted,  furious  Indians  who  were  after  me,  or  had  I 
unintentionally  disturbed  a  nest  of  witches  in  their  infernal 
orgies  ?  Again  the  noise  from  the  hill,  and  again  the 
jolly  "ha!  ha  !— ha!  ha! — ha-ha-ha — h— a — h!"  from 
the  brush.  Just  then  I  heard  a  noise  in  the  brush,  as  of  a 
rotten  limb  falling  from  a  tree,  and  a  large  owl  flew  out 
and  lit  on  a  limb  projecting  over  the  road.  There  he  sat 
about  a  second  and  then  burst  forth  with  that  same  load 
devil-may-care  laughter,  to  which  that  other  thing  of  the 
bluff  responded  with  his  remarkable  note,  which  I  had 
taken  to  be  the  war-whoop  of  a  Comanche  chief  ! 

I  felt  that  I  had  a  good  joke  on  myself,  and  laughed 
at  my  weakness. 

But  no  human  being,  riding  through  an  Indian  coun- 
try and  hearing  this  Texas  owl  the  first  time,  would  ever 
think  owl  once,  while  he  would  think  Indian  fifty  times. 
He  might  occasionally  think  wolf,  as  I  did.  These  owls 
soon  got  together,  and  the  racket  they  raised  was  aston- 
ishing. One  would  break  out  with  his  long  whoop,  and  the 
other  would  join  with  a  great  burst  of  laughter,  as  if  his 
sides  would  burst.  Knowing  what  they  were,  no  one  could 
hear  them  without  joining  in  their  fun.  They  are  not  so 
large  as  the  boo-hoo  owls  of  the  dark  bottoms  of  the  older 
States,  and  on  seeing  them,  one  is  surprised  at  the  pro- 
digious noise  they  can  get  out  of  their  mouths.  They  are 
about  the  same  in  color  as  the  Virginia  owl,  and  have  eyes 
that  stare  at  you  as  if  they  were  stark  mad.  Thongh  flour- 
ishing mostly  in  the  night  and  evening,  they  are  not  nearly 
so  nocturnal  as  their  cousins,  for  their  loud  laughter  and 
war-whoop  may  often  be  heard  at  mid-day.  It  is  impossible 


172    TWO   THOUSAND    MILES   11^   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK. 

fco  express  their  war-whoop  in  words  or  syllables.  The  young 
Texans  say  it  is  :  ^^  Miss  Bettie  cook — for  me — and  who 
cook — ^for — you  all  ?  '^  and  some  of  them  can  mimic  him  so 
precisely  that  not  even  an  owl  could  tell  the  difference. 
Indians  in  the  settlements  also  frequently  imitate  both 
their  whoop  and  their  laughter. 

i 

Piscine. 

The  brook  debouched  into  a  creek  whose  name  is  Wolf, 
which  also  a  few  miles  further  down  becomes  the  Per- 
dinalis  river.  The  Wolf  valley  is  wider  than  the  other, 
but  still  it  is  more  a  gorge  than  a  valley,  whose  soil  is 
sometimes  covered  with  masses  of  shivered  rock  hurled 
from  the  precipitous  hills.  It  has  some  excellent  land, 
but  no  one  dwells  here,  it  being  abandoned  to  wolves,  and 
perhaps  to  rattlesnakes.  I  stopped  on  a  grassy  plot  to 
graze  my  horse,  and  while  he  grazed  I  studied  the  nature 
of  Wolf  Creek.  It  was  literally  alive  with  brook  trout,* 
and  these  were  not  in  the  deep  pools  only,  but  in  places  so 
shallow  that  their  fins  and  backs  glittered  above  the  sur- 
face. No  need  of  rod  and  line  here.  A  diminutive  pistol 
would  do,  or  simply  stealing  upon  the  wary  fellows  in  the 
shallows  and  damming  them  up  with  a  few  stones,  so  as 
to  prevent  egress  :  then  wade  in  and  catch  to  your  heart's 
content.  Wagon  loads  might  be  captured  in  this  creek  in 
this  manner.  This  predatory  fish  seems  to  delight  in  shal- 
low water ;  else  he  crowds  into  it  in  pursuit  of  the  smaller  fry. 
They  are  from  a  little  finger  in  size  to  four  pounds  weight. 

Some  of  the  pools  of  this  creek  were  so  still  and  dark- 
blue  that  I  was  tempted  to  explore  them,  and.  with  a 
thirty-foot  rope  found  no  bottom.  This  is  peculiar  and 
almost  unaccountable  for  so  small  a  stream,  f     So  far  as  I 

*  Not  Salmo  fontinalis,  but  probabl}'  gin/stes  salmoides. 

t  The^e  deep  holes  are  said  to  be  numerous  in  the  Pedinalis.  Some  of  them 
are  circular  and  of  unknown  depth.  They  may  be  fountains  issuing  far  below, 
whose  buoyancy  prevents  the  stone  from  sinking. 


TWO   THOUSAND    MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON    HORSEBACK.      173 

could  judge,  the  banks  of  these  pools  were  either  perpen- 
dicular or  shelved  under.  I  was  struck  with  the  absence 
of  birds  in  this  gorge-ous,  rock-ribbed  and  caverned  coun- 
try. Xo  duck  swam  on  the  blue  pools,  and  not  even 
a  woodpecker  pecked  on  the  trees.  It  was  solitude 
profound. 


VI. 

Crossed  the  creek  and  journeyed  onward.  Rocks; 
mountainous  rocks  ;  terrific  rocks.  A  country  given  over 
to  witches,  gorges,  and  liorresco  referens.  Had  I  a  com- 
panion, I  think  I  would  like  to  encamp  in  these  shudder- 
ing wilds  one  night,  to  hear  what  manner  of  things  prowl 
through  them  in  darkness.  But  without  a  companion  it 
would  not  be  so  comfortable.     Misery  loves  company. 


VII. 

My  path  diverged  from  the  creek,  and  led  abruptly  up 
a  gorge,  northwest,  while  my  course  should  be  nearly  east. 
Cut  off  from  the  direct  route  by  rocks,  terrific  rocks  ; 
hills,  tremendous  hills,  which  no  man  may  cross — not  even 
a  goat ;  not  even  a  rat ;  not  even  a  snake ;  not  even  a 
snail,  though  supplied  with  glue  to  help  him  climb.  This 
is  Alpine. 


VIII. 

Granitic  Explosiois". — The  Primeval  World. 

A  FEW  miles  up  the  gorge,  the  path  turned  abruptly 
J_A-  east,  and  I  was  not  surprised  to  see  before  me  a 
grand  outburst  of  granite.  Cretaceous  rocks  rested  un  • 
disturbed,  in  horizontal  layers,  in  the  valleys  and  ravines 
at  its  feet.  This,  then,  is  evidently  the  top  of  a  great 
mountain  of  the  primeval  world — one  of  the  first  foot- 
stools planted  by  the  Almighty  upon  the  molten  orb.  It 
is  probably  the  only  island  that  rose  above  the  Primeval 
Ocean  in  a  circumference  of  some  thousands  of  miles  ;  for 
though  outbursts  of  granite  occur  frequently  north  of  this, 
the  uptilted  strata  at  the  base  show  that  the  upheaval 
took  place  long  after  the  territory  about  them  had  been 
formed.  If  not  the  oldest  spot  on  earth,  I  am  justified  in 
claiming  it  as  old.  as  any.  It  rose  into  being  when  the 
young  world  was  an  orb  of  liquid  fire,  and  the  waves  of 
this  fiery  ocean  thundered  at  its  base.  How  do  we  know 
that  the  winged  messengers  of  the  deep  may  not  have 
often  stopped  on  this  rock  to  rest  ?  It  stood  sentinel  over 
the  boiling  Azoic  Sea  ;  watched  the  slow  formation  of  the 
solid  earth  at  its  feet ;  saw  the  advent  of  man,  and  will 
probably  see  his  departure.  And  yet  there  is  nothing  re- 
markably striking  in  his  appearance :  a  bald-headed, 
weather-beaten,  very  unpretentious  old  rock.  To  view 
him  unobservingly,  you  would  never  tako  him  to  be 
the  grand  old  historian,  philosopher  and  prophet  that 
he  is. 


two  thousaiq^d  miles  ik  texas  01^  horseback.    1?5 

Earthquake  Thoughts. 

I  could  not  help  but  measure  in  my  mind  the  prodi- 
gious height  of  this  old  historian  when  he  stood  in  the 
midst  of  the  original  fiery  sea.  If  the  central  fires  are 
eighty  miles  below  us,  as  the  philosophers  say,  then  the 
historian's  was  all  of  that  height,  and  may  be  yet,  for  his 
feet  are  still  bathed  in  the  central  fires.  What  an  enor- 
mous time  did  it  take  the  successive  oceans  to  erect  about 
him  the  immense  breastwork  of  stone  until  it  has  left  only 
a  few  hundred  feet  of  his  ancient  head  uncovered  !  The 
world  is  old,  very  old ;  old  enough  to  drop  into  its  grave. 
Perhaps  it  already  has  one  foot  in  the  grave. 

But  it  is  probable  that  in  regions  built  exclusively,  or 
nearly  so,  of  granite  and  primitive  rocks,  the  crust  of  the 
earth  may  be  thin,  and  the  heaving  and  tossing  of  the  cen- 
tral fires  quite  near.  This  is  made  almost  certain  by  the  fre- 
quency of  earthquake  shocks  in  such  regions,  and  their  in- 
f  requency  or  total  absence  elsewhere.  In  Tertiary  regions, 
the  crust  of  the  earth  is  so  thick  and  strong  that  the  cen- 
tral forces  are  held  in  check  and  driven  to  the  primitive 
regions  to  do  their  destructive  work.  Thus  Manhattan 
and  New  England  are  treated  almost  every  year  to  several 
little  earthquake  oscillations,  but  these  are  never  felt  in 
the  thick  Tertiaries.  Indeed,  I  believe  that  such  a  thing 
as  an  earthquake  has  never  been  known  in  a  Tertiary 
region.  Such  regions  were  built  up  carefully,  quietly  and 
peaceably  by  the  sea,  every  joint  closely  welded  together  : 
this  took  eons  of  ages  to  perform  ;  while  the  granitic  re- 
gions were  tossed  up  by  the  central  forces  in  gigantic 
spasms,  out  of  the  fiery  pit ;  leaving  rents  and  chasms,  and 
the  work  not  half  performed. 


IX. 

Eocks — granitic   rocks — Cretaceous   rocks  ;   enough  to 
lay  the  foundations  of  a  new  world. 


X. 


The  Pbomised  Land. 

FINALLY,  as  the  sun  was  near  its  setting,  a  glorious 
view  bnrst  upon  me.  It  was  a  wide  expanse  of  level 
country,  thickly  dotted  with  farms  and  covered  with  for- 
est. But  beyond  it  in  every  direction  save  the  north,  rose 
rocks,  mountainous  rocks.  It  was  the  first  view  of  human 
habitation  since  early  morn,  and  the  effect  upon  both  horse 
and  rider  was  exhilarating.  So  the  wandering  and  jaded 
Israelites  felt  when  they  beheld  Canaan  from  the  heights 
of  Pisgah.  He  that  has  never  travelled  a  whole  day  over 
a  rough  and  uninhabited  region,  can  never  appreciate  the 
music  of  a  farm-yard  cock.  Near  the  close  of  such  a  day 
it  is  the  sweetest  of  melodies — suggestive  in  every  note,  of 
warm  fire-sides,  smoking  viands  and  delicious  rest.  De- 
scending the  eminence,  E  entered  the  level  expanse,  and 
just  as  night  fell,  rode  into 

Fredericksbueg. 

This  is  a  town  of  three  thousand  people,  of  whom  at 
least  four-fifths  are  Germans.  It  is  built  of  stone,  and  has 
decidedly  the  air  of  a  little  city.  I  could  not  have  expected 
to  see  a  town  so  pretentious  jammed  away  in  these  rocks, 
and  so  remote.  It  is  brisk  and  busy,  as  the  numerous 
^'  floating  population  "  at  every  hand  attests.  It  has  three 
flouring  mills,  with  a  joint  capacity  of  about  three  hundred 
barrels  a  day,  and  its  chief  industry  is  based  upon  the  manu- 


TWO    THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.     117 

facture  and  sale  of  flour.  It  supplies  a  considerable  part 
of  the  consumption  of  San  Antonio,  and  nearly  all  the 
military  posts  of  the  frontier.  This  trade  attracts  to  it  a 
considerable  trade  in  other  lines.  The  yield  of  wheat  in 
the  vicinity  is  twenty  to  thirty  bushels  per  acre.  Wine- 
making  is  also  an  industry,  though  only  followed  as  an  ad- 
junct to  other  business.  The  mountains  are  loaded  in  their 
season  with  the  ''  mountain  grape  " — black  and  about  the 
size  of  a  buck-shot — and  from  this  they  make  a  sprightly, 
purple  wine. 

Fredericksburg  was  founded  by  a  German  colony,  about 
the  time  the  romantic  Braunfels  planted  the  city  that 
bears  his  name.  They  named  it  in  honor  of  the  Prussian 
Crown  Prince,  Frederick  William — he  that  is  now  emperor 
of  Germany.  It  had  a  hard  time  in  its  infancy,  and  suf- 
fered greatly  from  Indians.  At  one  time  they  were  pressed 
so  hard  by  the  Indians,  that  they  entered  into  a  treaty 
with  them,  one  of  the  conditions  of  which  was  that  the 
whites  and  Indians  should  intermarry  and  raise  families 
together.  One  German  youth  fulfilled  the  treaty  stipula- 
tion by  taking  a  squaw,  but  when  the  Indian  bucks,  naked 
and  painted,  came  to  take  the  German  lassies,  they  would 
not  consent,  and  the  war  broke  out  afresh.  Finally,  by 
the  aid  of  the  Texas  Rangers,  the  Indians  were  expelled. 
Still,  every  now  and  then,  they  make  forays  upon  the 
country  people  to  avenge  the  slight  put  upon  them  by  the 
German  girls. 

If  Fredericksburg  is  ever  reached  by  a  railroad  from 
the  lower  country,  it  will  be  from  its  rear,  or  the  west.  A 
narrow  gauge  is  practicable  by  the  route  that  I  travelled 
from  Athena,  by  following  the  valleys,  gorges  and  ravines  ; 
but  from  any  other  direction  it  is  sealed  up  by  rocks, 
mountainous  rocks,  interminable  rocks.  It  seems  singular 
that  the  German  colony  should  have  pitched  upon  this 
locality. 

8* 


178   two  thousastd  miles  in  texas  on  hoeseback^ 

The  Sort  of  People  you  8ee. 

Slept  well,  and  remained  in  Fredericksburg  all  day. 

Here  one  first  appreciates  that  he  is  on  the  frontier, 
where  it  behooves  him  to  take  care  of  himselL  Every 
man  one  sees  coming  into  the  city  has  his  six-shooter,  and 
many  have  their  rifles  or  shot-guns  besides.  They  are 
roughly  clad,  some  in  buckskins.  Those  coming  with 
wagon  trains  from  remote  settlements,  are  particularly  of 
this  description.  A  stalwart^  robust  set.  And  though  I 
mingled  freely  among  them,  I  received  nothing  but  cour- 
teous treatment,  and  saw  none  who  received  not  the  same. 
These  people  rarely  engage  in  difficulties,  but  when  they 
do  they  are  dangerous*  Never  put  your  hands  on  your 
pistol,  say  they,  but  if  you  do,  shoot  quick.  They  are  not 
a  familiar  folk,  and  do  not  address  a  stranger  unless  spo- 
ken to.  They  impress  me  as  a  highly  individualized  and 
manly  race.  The  habit  of  universal  arms-bearing  has 
grown  more  from  the  necessity  of  protection  against  In- 
dians, than  a  natural  penchant  for  weapons*  The  people 
of  the  town  share  to  some  degree  their  simplicity  of  dress, 
but  not  their  weapons. 


DIVISION  IV. 


India:^"  Talk. 


THE  few  to  whom  I  spoke  of  my  trip  advised  me  not 
to  pi^oeeed  beyond  Fredericksburg  alone,  saying  few 
ever  did  so  unless  under  urgent  necessity.  They  held  that 
one  was  not  absolutely  safe  even  on  the  road  to  San  Antor 
nio  ;  for  though  he  might  go  through  in  safety  ninety-nine 
times,  yet  on  the  one-hundredth  he  might  lose  his  scalp  : 
the  Indian  hovered  over  the  skirts,  and,  like  death,  ye 
know  not  the  day  nor  the  hour  he  cometh.  They  spake 
of  trains  which  would  be  on  the  road  in  a  day  or  two,  ad- 
vising me  to  wait  on  their  company ;  but  when  I  did  not 
relent,  they  undertook  to  instruct  me  in  Indian  warfare. 
If  you  see  them,  said  they,  depend  upon  your  horse's 
heels,  and  if  pressed  too  hard,  take  to  the  brush  :  there 
the  Indian  will  not  pursue  you,  for  he  dreads  a  hidden 
foe,  armed  with  our  destructive  guns.  He  knows  that 
one  or  more  must  fall  in  the  effort  to  secure  you,  and  as 
each  will  think  it  likely  that  this  fate  may  be  his  own,  they 
will  finally  conclude  that  you  are  not  worth  the  sacrifice, 
and  let  you  alone.  These  marauding  Indians  are  mostly  . 
Comanches,  generally  armed  with  bows  and  arrows,  but, 
said  they,  they  can  flirt  these  arrows  through  a  buffalo  at 
fifty  yards.     One  said  that  he  had  seen  the  spike  of  an 


180     TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK. 

arrow  go  through  the  tough  spoke  of  a  wagon  wheel.  I 
had  great  confidence  in  my  formidable  armament  and  my 
horse's  heels,  and  came  deliberately  to  the  conclusion  that 
I  was  so  ugly  a  customer  that  the  Indians  would  probably 
be  willing  to  give  me  a  wide  berth,  if  I  would  treat  them 
with  like  civility.  Moreover,  I  thought  if  I  could  not 
select  my  company,  I  would  prefer  to  have  none,  or  even 
that  of  an  occasional  straggling  Indian.  I  have  sometimes 
had  some  most  intolerable  bores  in  road  acquaintance, 
and  one  does  not  know  but  that  they  may  be  dishonest. 
Therefore,  on  the  second  morning  after  my  arrival,  I  filled 
my  haversack  with  crackers  and  chips  of  dried  beef,  and 
departed  from  Fredericksburg,  northwest. 

Fogs  and  Cloud-Bursts.         ^ 

A  very  thick  fog  rested  in  the  ravines  and  valleys,  and 
against  the  sides  of  the  mountains.  It  was  so  thick  that 
as  I  rode  through  it  my  gun  dripped  with  water,  and  my 
beard  and  woolen  coat  were  Saturated.  The  water  depos- 
ited by  it  was  equal  to  a  nice  shower.  And  yet  this  is  in 
a  lofty  mountainous  region,  where  there  are  no  expanses 
of  water,  and  no  streams  but  brooks.  This  fog  seemed  to 
me  a  cloud  which  had  fallen  bodily  to  the  earth.  Eesting 
against  the  sides  of  the  mountains,  it  had  precisely  the 
appearance  of  a  cumulus.  They  say  that  in  this  region 
cloud-bursts  are  not  uncommon  :  that  is,  a  cloud  suddenly 
letting  go  all  hold  in  the  upper  regions  and  tumbling  to 
the  earth,  discharging  a  young  ocean  at  once.  I  myself 
once  witnessed  one  of  these.  I  was  standing  on  the  bank 
of  a  dry  ravine  which  headed  at  the  foot  of  a  mountain 
near  by.  Suddenly  a  roaring  torrent  rushed  down  the 
ravine  and  overspread  its  banks.  Looking  to  the  moun- 
tain, it  was  enveloped  in  a  dense,  agitated  fog  ;  and  though 
light  clouds  were  overhead^not  a  drop  of  water  had  fallen 
where  I  was.     Those  with  me  called  this  a  water-spout, 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON  HORSEBACK.     181 

but  it  struck  me  as  a  tumbled-down  cloud.  At  certain 
seasons,  these  unprecedented  fogs  appear  every  morning 
in  the  mountainous  regions  of  Western  Texas,  and  the 
rancheros  consider  them  valuable  for  crops.  It  is  remark- 
able that  they  occur  only  during  seasons  of  drought,  and 
are  confined  to  the  valleys  and  flanks  of  mountains.  They 
do  not  dispense  their  benefits  over  districts  incapable  of 
tillage.* 

Lost  Eocks. — The  Texas  Cataclysm. 

My  attention  was  attracted  to  a  number  of  stones  lying 
about  in  the  open  post-oak  forest.  Some  of  these  are  of 
fantastic  form,  and  look  like  ruins.  Some  stand  bolt  up- 
riglit  like  pillars.  In  the  level  forest  there  are  no  other 
rocks  but  these.  The  formation  about  them  is  cretaceous, 
while  they,  in  every  instance,  are  granite  or  gneiss,  or  a 
very  compact,  almost  vitreous  sandstone..  They  were  not 
formed  here  ;  they  were  not  protruded  from  below  :  they 
are  away  from  their  home,  and  are  true  '^lost  rocks." 
Whence  came  these  rocks,  and  how  did  they  get  here  . 
There  are  no  mountains  near  from  which  they  could  have 
been  projected  by  the  ordinary  agencies  by  which  boulders 
are  precipitated  into  valleys.  Is  this  glacial  ?  To  con- 
clude that  it  is,  would  be  to  fly  into  the  face  of  geologists, 
who  maintain  that  the  remarkable  invasion  of  flood  and  ice 
from  the  Pole,  did  not  reach  below  the  line  of  the  Ohio. 
And  yet  it  is  certain  that  these  rocks  were  borne  here  by 
some  extraordinary  force. 

As  I  rode  along,  the  boulders  increased  in  number  and 
size,  showing  that  the  force  that  had  borne  them  came 
from  the  west  or  northwest,  and  that  I  was  approaching 
the  district  whence  they  came.  At  last  the  level  forest 
terminated  at  a  creek,  beyond  which  rose  a  range  of  dark 

*  These  remarkable  fogs  may  result  from  the  almost  thermal  waters  of  the 
streams  that  gush  up  out  of  the  Cretaceous  formation  of  Texas,  being  so  much 
warmer  than  Uic  air,  which  has  been  chilled  during  the  night. 


182     TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IK   TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK. 

colored  hills.  Entering  them  I  found  them  composed  of 
precisely  the  same  material  as  the  boulders,  and  at  once 
recognized  their  parent  bed. 

I  first  saw  these  rocks  within  a  short  distance  of  Fred- 
ericksburg, and  this  range  of  primitive  hills  is  fifteen  miles 
northwest ;  so  that  they  have  been  transported  ten  to 
twelve  miles  certainly,  and  perhaps  some  of  them  much 
further.  Some  are  many  tons  in  weight.  Xow  what  was 
the  giant  that  tore  these  boulders  from  the  parent  rock 
and  hurled  them  this  distance  ?  That  giant  was  of  pro.- 
digious  strength  indeed. 

The  force  that  did  it  was  probably  exerted  long  anterior 
to  the  Glacial  Flood,  and  was  shorfc  and  convulsive  in  its 
action.  It  deposited  no  vast  heaps  of  clay,  gravel,  and 
rounded  pebbles,  as  the  glacial  did  in  its  long  prevalence 
over  the  northern  regions.  It  was  one  immense,  tremen- 
dous exertion  of  force,  passing  away  as  suddenly  as  it 
came.  Its  ancient  date  is  attested  by  the  fact  that  the 
masse$  of  rock  that  were  hurled  into  the  valley  at  the  foot 
of  the  hills,  have  been  completely  covered  up  by  the  slow 
accumulation  of  the  wash  and  debris  of  ages,  and  that  no 
rocks  of  recent  date  are  among  the  boulders.  It  is  my  be- 
lief that  this  force  was  exerted  at  the  close  of  the  Creta- 
ceous epoch  by  the  upheaval  of  the  great  plateau  of  the 
Kocky  Mountains,  and  the  vast  plains  that  border  it  on  the 
east.  At  that  time  the  ocean  covered  all  that  region  ex- 
cept a  few  Primitive,  Silurian  and  Carboniferous  districts, 
and  was  hurled  southeastward  in  one  tremendous  surge, 
and  did  not  stop  till  it  fell  below  the  Cretaceous  wall  that 
runs  north  of  San  Antonio  and  New  Braunfels.  There  it 
rested  and  became  quiet,  having  been  dispossessed,  by  the 
action  of  the  turbulent  central  fires,  of  a  vast  domain. 
This  idea  has  not  been  suggested,  so  far  as  I  know,  by  any 
who  have  written  of  the  geology  of  America,  but  I  give  it 
in  great  confidence  that  it  will  be  found  correct.     I  caii 


TWO   THOUSAIS'D   MILES   IN  TEXAS   01^   HOESEBACK.      183 

find  no  other  hypothesis  which  will  account  for  the  singu- 
lar phenomena  before  me. 

This  range  of  azoic  hills  at  that  time  stood  above  the 
water,  and  the  dispossessed  ocean,  hurled  back  nearly  two 
thousand  miles  at  one  sweep,  struck  it  with  inconceivable 
fury,  ripping  up  the  solid  rock  and  transporting  the  frag- 
ments miles  away.  It  seems  almost  inconceivable  that 
such  masses  of  rock  could  be  borne  so  great  a  distance  by 
water  alone  ;  but  it  must  be  recollected  that  oceanic  power 
under  such  circumstances  is  inconceivably  great. 

The  fantastic  form  of  many  of  the  rocks  is  the  result  of 
corroding  atmospheric  agencies.  Some  are  crowned  with 
blocks  of  stone  resembling  Dutch  cheeses.  The  child  of 
fire,  granite,  seems  to  be  the  only  sufferer  from  this  de- 
gradation ;  the  gneiss  and  vitreous  sandstone  having  appar- 
ently undergone  no  change  at  all.  If  one  had  any  data  by 
which  he  could  estimate  the  waste  of  granite  when  exposed 
to  the  atmosphere  in  separate  blocks,  he  could  get  a  fair 
idea  from  these  boulders,  of  how  much  time  has  elapsed 
since  the  upheaval  of  the  Cretaceous.* 

The  Primitive  Hills. 

These  primitive  hills  are  dark,  squatty,  well  rounded 
protuberances,  resembling  heaps  of  stone  upon  which  soil 
has  been  lightly  scattered.  They  are  so  bare  that  a  goat 
could  hardly  pick  his  rations  upon  them.  If  they  are  a 
fair  representation  of  what  the  earth  was  in  its  early  stages, 
nothing  could  have  been  more  bleak  and  desolate.  No 
bird,  insect,  reptile  or  animal,  flew,  crept,  crawled  or  walked 
over  its  inhospitable  rocks  ;  and  no  vegetation  existed. 
And  such,  almost,  is  this  primitive  district  to-day.  As 
God  made  it,  myriads  of  ages  ago,  still  it  is,  with  aspect 

*  Lost  rocks  may  be  seen  almost  anywhere  near  primitive  hills  in  Texas, 
streaming  out  from  them  in  an  easterly  or  south-easterly  direction.  In  Llano 
County,  on  the  Fredericksburg  road,  they  are  particularly  numerous. 


184     TWO   THOUSAl^D    MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON    HORSEBACK. 

scarcely  softened.  Yet  in  the  winding  vales  between  the  pro- 
tuberances, there  is  sometimes  a  pretty  little  lawn  of  rich 
crisp  grass,  with  groves  of  dwarfed  black-oak  and  live-oak. 
Sometimes  on  the  eastern  or  south-eastern  exposure  of  the 
protuberances,  thickets  of  dwarfed  and  gnarled  cedars 
drag  out  a  precarious  existence.  What  they  draw  their 
subsistence  from,  seems  past  finding  out.  The  only  sign 
of  animal  life  is  a  buzzard  floating  here  and  there  at  a 
great  altitude.  I  notice  that  against  the  eastern  side  of 
these  mountains,  there  are  almost  invariably  huge  masses 
of  detached  rock,  while  on  the  opposite  side  there  are  few, 
and  often  none.  This  is  another  proof  of  the  great  spas- 
modic billow  that  swept  over  them  from  the  west  or  north- 
west.* 

Birds  that  are  Peculiar. 

My  horse's  hoofs  clanked  over  these  stony  witnesses  of 
the  primeval  desolation  some  ten  miles,  when  I  descended 

*  This  primitive  district,  of  which  these  hills  form  the  southern  boundary,  is 
one  full  of  interest  to  the  mineralogist.  Gold  and  silver  have  been  found  at 
many  places,  and  several  raining  parties  are  now  at  work  for  these  minerals, 
with  what  success  is  not  yet  known.  Magnetic  iron  ore,  that  smelts  seventy  to 
eighty  per  cent  pure  iron,  exists  in  quantities  apparently  inexhaustible.  Not 
far  from  the  road  followed  by  our  traveller,  in  Llano  County,  is  a  mass  of  this 
ore,  nine  hundred  feet  long  and  five  hundred  feet  wide,  rising  thirty  feet  above 
its  visible  base.  It  has  been  reduced  and  used  to  a  small  extent,  and  blacksmiths 
pronounce  it  the  same  as  the  celebrated  Swedish  iron  which  is  manufactured 
from  precisely  similar  ore.  This  mass  of  iron  lies  between  granite  ridges,  is 
traversed  by  quartz  veins,  was  evidently  upheaved  with  the  granite,  and  is 
therefore  a  true  metallic  vein.  In  the  same  locality  are  other  masses  or  beds  of 
iron  of  equal  if  not  greater  extent.  It  is  a  timbered  region,  offering  plenty  of 
charcoal,  and  limestone  for  flux  abounds  in  the  vicinity.  Strati te  or  soapstone 
is  near  at  hand  in  large  beds.  When  this  wonderful  iron  region  is  penetrated  by 
a  railroad,  these  deposits  will  become  of  immense  value.  The  manufacture  of 
railroad  iron  for  the  railroads  of  Texas  alone,  would  make  a  great  business.  It 
is, without  much  doubt, the  richest  deposit  of  iron  on  the  American  continent. 

A  four-foot  vein  of  coal  has  been  discovered  in  the  vicinity,  in  a  depression 
between  the  granitic  and  metamorphic  hills  ;  and  the  carboniferous  formation 
has  a  wide  development  a  day's  journey  to  the  north,  in  which  coal  is  known 
to  abound.  Salt  is  manufactured  from  well-water,  issuing  from  Silurian  rocks. 
Indeed,  Llano  County  is  a  remarkable  mineral  region,  and  will  no  doubt  one 
day  be  famous  for  its  minerals. 


TWO  THOUSAND   MILES   IN"  TEXAS   OK   HOKSEBACK.     185 

into  a  secluded  valley,  running  north-east.  No  one 
dwells  in  it,  and  the  aspect  of  the  whole  country 
was  decidedly  lonesome ;  but  the  brook  was  sparkling  and 
the  grass  good,  and  I  halted  for  noon-day  rest.  I  wan- 
dered on  foot  some  hundred  yards  up  the  brook  and  shot 
a  peculiar  bird  with  my  pistol  ;  not  that  I  wanted  to  eat 
him,  but  to  study  him,  for  he  is  a  strange  creature.  Some 
call  him  the  bird  of  Paradise,  and  others  the  chaparral 
cock  ;  but  he  has  a  strong  general  resemblance  to  the 
female  pea-fowl.  He  is  a  bit  larger  than  a  pigeon,  but 
looks  much  larger  by  reason  of  his  long  legs,  and  a  tail  a 
foot  to  a  foot  and  a  half  in  length,  which  projects  straight 
out  and  trails  on  the  ground.  He  lives  in  secluded,  bushy 
retreats,*  makes  no  note  whatever,  and  when  disturbed 
runs  away  with  great  fleetness.  I  have  never  seen  them 
fly  more  than  twenty  to  thirty  feet,  and  its  tail  is  so  cum- 
bersome that  I  judge  it  cannot  fly  much  further.  Their 
short  flights  seem  more  of  a  hopping  than  a  flying.  They 
are  said  to  be  easily  domesticated  ;  so  that  even  old  ones 
have  been  trained  to  visit  farm- yards  daily,  where  they 
wandered  around  almost  as  unconcerned  as  chickens.  A 
lady  told  me  she  had  quite  a  number  that  visited  her  every 
day  to  receive  gifts  of  corn  and  wheat.  At  night  they 
would  slip  away  to  the  brush;  and  they  hid  their  nests  so 
well  she  could  never  find  them.  Although  inhabiting 
such  secluded  districts  and  flying  so  swiftly  when  they  see 
you,  they  have  a  singularly  sweet  and  gentle  look  out  of 
their  large,  soft  black  eyes,  which  are  a  prominent  feature 
of  their  ensernUe,  They  go  almost  always  in  pairs,  and  are 
seldom  found  east  of  the  Colorado,  and  only  in  mountain-* 
ous  districts. 

The  name,  '^  bird  of  Paradise,"  has  doubtless  been  given 
him  on  account  of  his  elongated  tail,  like  that  of  the  Para- 
dise bird  of  the  East ;  or  it  may  be  connected  with  some 
pretty  sentiment  which  the  Texans  may  entertain  for  the 


186     TWO   THOUSAND    MILES   IX    TEXAS   OX    HORSEBACK. 

bird.  For  he  is  as  much  protected  from  the  murderous 
aim  of  the  youthful  sportsman,  as  the  universally  beloved 
mocking-bird — the  sweetest  songster  of  the  feathered  tribe. 

I  am  at  a  loss  where  to  place  this  bird,  as  an  ornitholo- 
gist. It  is  said  that  not  a  single  member  of  the  family  of 
the  Phasianidce  has  been  found  native  in  America  ;  but  if 
this  bird  is  not  a  variety  of  the  pheasant — I  am  mistaken. 
In  shape  it  is  precisely  similar  to  the  European  pheasant, 
and  only  lacks  his  size  and  gaudy  plumage. 

Another  curious  Texas  bird — which  I  have  seen  almost 
every  day,  but  do  not  see  here — is  called  by  some  the  Mexi- 
can mocking-bird,  and  yet  others  not  inappropriately  call 
him,  also,  the  bird  of  Paradise.  He  is  the  same  in  ap- 
pearance as  the  common  mocking-bird,  save  that  his  colors 
are  much  bolder  and  more  distinct,  that  he  is  much  more 
gaudily  dressed,  and  is  ornamented  with  two  long  tail- 
feathers  which  curl  outwards,  gracefully  and  airily,  toward 
the  ends.  The  common  mocking-bird  appears  very  mod- 
est and  homely  beside  him,  but  unfortunately  he  is  gifted 
with  none  of  the  musical  genius  of  that  sweet  bird.  He 
has  a  note,  but  it  is  a  mere  squeak.  Like  the  mocking- 
bird, he.  is  fond  of  perching  on  the  topmost  branch  of  a 
tree,  but  instead  of  thrilling  the  neighborhood  with  his 
sweet  minstrelsy,  he  amuses  himself  in  looking  out  for  and 
catching  flies.  He  seems  filled  with  great  envy  and  dislike 
of  his  highly  gifted  but  homely  cousin,  for  when  one  hap- 
pens to  come  near  him,  he  immediately  assails  him,  and  is 
joined  in  this  ugly  behavior  by  all  his  tribe  in  sight.  Un- 
like the  mocking-bird,  he  is  rarely  if  ever  found  alone,  but 
in  little  companies  of  several ;  if  not  absolutely  together, 
yet  separated  but  a  little  distance  apart.  The  mocking- 
bird loves  the  haunts  of  men,  by  whom  he  seems  to  know 
instinctively  that  he  is  beJoved  ;  but  this  fellow  avoids 
them,  and  is  generally  found  remote  from  their  dwellings, 
even  far  beyond  the  limits  of  civilization.     I  believe  he 


TWO  THOUSAl^D   MILES   li^   TEXAS   O:^   HOKSEBACK.     18? 

rarely  ventures  east  of  the  Colorado ;  and  he  seems  almost 
exclusively  a  prairie  bird,  as  I  have  not  seen  him  in  the 
timbered  regions.  A  tree  he  loves,  but  it  must  be  in  the 
open  prairie,  from  which  he  has  a  wide  prospect.  One  of 
his  favorite  perches  is  a  tall  spike  of  grass,  or  slender  reed, 
on  which  he  delights  to  sit  and  rock  in  the  wind.  But 
unmusical  and  vicious  as  he  is,  nothing  can  be  more  grace- 
ful than  this  bird  on  the  wing.  He  has  a  way  of  ascend- 
ing high  in  the  air,  with  an  easy,  gentle  motion^again 
descending  in  curves  or  circles  to  his  perch,  as  if  wishing 
to  show  his  fine  plumage  and  tail  to  most  advantage.  He 
seems  always  merry  and  happy,  except  when  the  true 
mocking-bird  approaches  him,  and  then  he  is  simply  vil- 
lainous. 

Not  All  Bad. 

Hence,  it  is  not  all  bad.  The  primitive  baldness  or 
rugged  hairiness  prevails,  but  frequently  a  smooth  scope 
of  table-land  intervenes,  covered  with  post-oak  forest,  and 
the  rocks  do  not  always  clank.  Eunning  through  these 
forests  are  numerous  strips  of  black,  fertile  land,  in  slight 
depressions,  thick  with  underbrush  and  luxuriant  grass. 
These  are  favorite  haunts  of  deer ;  for  in  nearly  all  such  I 
encounter  them  in  squads  and  sometimes  herds.  They 
gaze  at  me  a  moment,  then  switch  their  tails  and  depart. 
These  strips  often  contain  hundreds  of  acres,  and  would 
doubtless  produce  grand  crops  of  grain,  but  no  plow  has 
ever  touched  them.  These  table-lands,  lying  between 
granitic  hills,  invariably  begin  and  terminate  at  hollows, 
down  which  a  brook  runs  and  frets  over  innumerable  rocks, 
and  generally  hidden  under  an  entanglement  of  vine  and 
brush.  The  rocks  here  exposed  are  generally  sandstone,* 
probably  of  Cambrian  age.  On  the  table-lands,  if  such  they 
may  be  properly  called,  noticed  a  true  boulder  occasion- 

*  Calciferous  sandstone  ? 


188     TWO   THOUSAKD   MILES   I>q^   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK. 

ally,  but  no  protruding  rock.  Lonesome  exceedingly. 
Begin  to  grow  weary  even  with  myself.  Won't  I  break 
down  before  my  trip  is  ended  ? 

A   DiSAPPOIKTMEKT. — ThE   OlD   ShEPHERD. 

Finally,  the  sun  was  sinking  in  the  west,  when  I  saw 
the  first  indication  of  humanity  since  leaving  Fredericks- 
burg. ^Twas  in  a  dell  that  might  by  courtesy  be  called  a 
valley.  'Twas  a  flock  of  a  thousand  or  fifteen  hundred 
Mexican  sheep,  under  the  leadership  of  an  old  man  and 
two  dogs.  Having  a  mind  to  hear  the  sound  of  human 
voice,  I  rode  up  to  the  old  man  and  addressed  him;  but  he 
was  a  Mexican,  and  shook  his  head  and  said  simply^"  710 
e7itie7ido."'^  I  felt  discouraged,  and  discharged  some  ob- 
jurgations upon  the  barbarous  ignorance  of  the  Mexicans, 
who  will  not  learn  the  language  of  the  people  they  live 
among.  It  is  the  rarest  thing  to  find  one  who  can  speak 
an  English  word,  even  among  those  who  have  been  in  con- 
tact with  Americans  thirty  or  forty  years.  I  tried  fre- 
quently in  San  Antonio  to  speak  with  old  Mexicans, 
who  looked  as  grizzly  as  the  hills,  but  they  always  re- 
sponded with  that  everlasting  no  eiitiendo.  While  return- 
ing from  that  city  to  New  Braunfels,  I  had  as  sole  com- 
panion in  the  carriage,  a  splendid  Mexican  woman  who 
seemed  the  queen  of  the  race.  She  had  an  imposing 
physique  and  all  the  charms  of  full-blown  womanhood. 
I  felt  a  strong  desire  to  engage  her  in  conversation,  as  it 
seemed  becoming  to  do  under  the  circumstances  ;  but  she 
shut  me  up,  on  my  first  venture,  with  a  musical — ^'Yo  no 
Jiahlo  Englcs,  senor  ;"f  and  I  sank  back  to  my  corner  of 
the  coach,  where  I  remained  disconsolate  during  the  rest 
of  the  trip;  which  occupied  four  hours.  I  believed  that  I 
never  looked  so  like  a  fool  in  my  life,  and  I  am  sure  that 
•I  never  felt  so  like  a  fool  as  I  did  on  that  occasion.    There 

*  ''  I  do  not  understand."  t  "  I  do  not  speak  English,  Sir. 


TWO   THOUSAND    MILES   IN    TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.     189 

we  sat,  face  to  face,  two  feet  apart,  but  for  all  practical 
purposes  the  distance  might  have  been  a  thousand.  We 
occasionally  looked  at  each  other  in  a  very  silly  way, 
and  I  fancied  that  she  felt  as  stupid  as  myself.  I  was 
heartily  glad  when  the  journey  ended.  I  fancied  that  I 
had  a  full  foretaste  of  Plato's  hell,  which  is  to  be  plunged 
up  to  the  ears  in  something  that  one  ardently  wants,  and 
yet  cannot  get  a  taste  of  it.  I  have  thought  of  this  ad- 
venture a  thousand  times  since,  and  wondered,  had  this 
lady  and  myself  been  forced  to  live  alone  together  some 
months,  how  we  would  have  got  along,  and  what  sort  of 
language  we  would  have  formed.  A  compound  of  the  best 
of  the  Spanish  and  the  best  of  the  English,  would  make  a 
noble  language  indeed  ;  and  I  judge  that  is  the  sort  of 
compound  we  would  have  made.  I  have  thought  also 
about  the  meaning  of  the  first  word  we  would  mutually 
compound,  but  have  arrived  at  no  satisfactory  conclusion 
in  regard  to  it. 

The  Mexicans  of  Texas  are  peculiar  in  this  thick  igno- 
rance of  English,  as  nearly  all  other  strangers  learn  it  in  a 
short  time.  The  Americans  themselves  quickly  pick  up 
enough  Spanish  when  thrown  among  the  Mexicans,  to  get 
along  with  them  very  well,  and  even  the  negroes  soon  learn 
to  talk  it.  I  think  this  may  be  owing  to  the  general  dis- 
inclination of  the  Mexican  to  mental  effort,  and  his  con- 
tentment with  stupidity  ;  but  it  may  result  partially  from 
the  toughness  of  our  language.  A  young  Mexican  in  San 
Antonio,  who  had  been  educated  in  Kentucky,  said  to  me 
on  this  subject :  '^  Many  Mexicans  read  English  and  under- 
stand it  well,  but  few  try  to  speak  it,  because  its  pronuncia- 
tion is  to  them  almost  impossible.  There  is  one  language 
that  a  Mexican  or  Spaniard  never  can  speak,  unless  bred 
to  it  from  a  child,  and  that  is  the  French  ;  and  after  that 
comes  the  English.  Many  Mexican  ladies  in  San  Antonio 
speak  English  pretty  well,  but  it  fits  their  mouths  so  badly 


190     TWO   THOUSAXD    MILES   IX   TEXAS   ON   HOKSEBACK. 

that  they  cannot  be  prevailed  on  to  speak  it  before  strangers. 
They  prefer  to  be  a  sealed  music- box."  It  was  one  of  those 
sealed  mnsic-boxes,  though  a  pretty  big  one,  that  I  had  with 
me  on  that  trip.    I  wish  I  had  had  the  key  to  unlock  it. 

And  the  old  shepherd  may  be  a  music-box,  too.  Possi- 
bly. And  I  ride  on  reflecting  what  an  admirable  chance 
he  has  to  turn  philosopher,  if  he  only  had  the  stuff  in  him. 
Nothing  to  do  but  to  wander  over  these  hills  and  along 
these  vales  from  morn  until  dusk,  often  stopping  for  hours 
to  bask  on  a  sunny  slope.  If  I  should  turn  shepherd,  me- 
thinks  I  would  also  turn  poet,  or  philosopher,  or  historian, 
in  spite  of  myself  ;  for  how  can  one  lead  such  a  life  with- 
out eternally  reflecting  and  projecting?  And  yet  I  dare 
say  that  all  the  thoughts  that  well  up  in  this  old  man's 
mind  in  a  day,  could  they  be  collected  and  weighed,  would 
not  balance  against  a  humming-bird's  pin-feather.  His 
life  is  probably  a  continuous  sleep,  and  when  it  is  ended 
there  is  a  bunch  of  bones  to  tell  that  a  man  had  been. 
This  is  dreary  consolation.  What  is  life  without  those 
thoughts  that  wander  through  eternity  ? — without  knowl- 
edge— without  ambition — without  the  restless  desire  to 
accomplish  good  ?  To  die  like  a  rock  tossed  into  the  sea, 
and  leave  not  a  ripple  behind  !  This  is  not  life  ;  it  is 
vegetation — the  life  of  the  w^eed  on  the  prairie.  When  the 
weed  has  lived  its  time,  it  dies  and  leaves  a  humus  to  en- 
rich the  soil.  So  when  man  dies,  he  leaves  his  bones  to 
crumble  into  phosphate  of  lime,  which  at  last  will  become 
good  solid  rock,  which  the  husbandman  will  quarry  to  en- 
rich his  grounds,  or  the  architect  to  erect  into  some  wall. 
Thus  we  go  on  doing  good  in  spite  of  ourselves;  for  thus 
nature  designed  us. 

BuEK  Retiro. 

Sunset  found  me  on  an  eminence  from  which  a  glori- 
ous green  valley,  from  three  to  five  miles  in  width,  spread 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN^   TEXAS   OJS"   HORSEBACK.     191 

out  before  me,  winding  among  the  rugged  hills  like  a  great 
river.  Its  banks  are  solid,  precipitous  walls  of  rock.  Farm 
houses  here  and  there  look  like  white  sails  on  the  river, 
and  a  village  in  the  distance  seems  a  fleet  at  anchor.  I 
,  descended  the  steep  declivity  and  stopped  at  the  village  of 
Loyal  Valley,  thirty-five  miles  from  Fredericksburg. 


IL 


Loyal  Valley. — The  Germans  and  a  Higher 
*^       Civilization. 

THIS  is  excltiaively  a  German  settlement ;  and  here 
the  conviction  impresses  me  that  the  Germans  as  a 
colonizing  race,  excel  the  Americans  or  any  other  race. 
In  Texas  they  have  certainly  pushed  forward  and  possessed 
exposed  points,  far  in  advance  of  the  Americans.  It  is 
said  of  Goldsmith  that  he  touched  no  subject  that  he  did  not 
adorn  ;  and  it  may  be  truly  said  of  the  Germans,  that  they 
touch  no  country  which  they  do  not  fill  with  beauty,  hap- 
piness, and  wealth.  They  have  two  marked  characteris- 
tics which  eminently  fit  them  for  colonizing  :  their  singu- 
larly social  disposition,  and  their  universally  good,  and 
often  high  education.  This  social  nature  makes  them  love 
to  live  in  communities,  and  every  member  becomes  an  im- 
portant social  factor,  whose  well-being  is  inseparably  con- 
nected with  the  well-being  of  the  whole;  and  every  one 
labors  as  hard  as  he  can  to  be  esteemed  and  fill  his  part 
well  in  this  social  life.  Their  education  makes  them  as- 
pire for  a  higher  civilization ;  indeed,  it  is  but  a  higher 
civilization ;  and  they  express  it  in  making  their  homes 
attractive  and  beautiful.  Thus,  let  them  take  hold  of  the 
wildest  country,  and  it  soon  blossoms  like  the  rose,  and 
becomes  the  seat  of  prosperity  and  contentment ;  in  other 
words,  it  becomes  ^^  home,  sweet  home."  They  advance  in 
force,  and  once  possessed, they  cannot  be  dispossessed.  The 
American  is  more  isolated  in  his  character ;  he  likes  to 


TWO   THOUSAKD   MILES   IX   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.     193 

stand  upon  his  own  bottom,  without  being  rubbed  against 
by  neighbors,  and  hence  scatters  so  badly  that  he  cannot 
advance  far  into  the  wilderness,  until  the  German  communi- 
ties have  preceded  him  and  built  bulwarks  against  savage 
incursions.  Then  he  comes  and  locates  his  isolated  farms. 
He  does  not  set  his  heart  upon  them  as  a  home,  does  not 
care  to  beautify  them,  as  he  has  little  taste  in  that  direc- 
tion, and  is  prepared  to  pull  up  stakes  and  depart  any 
time,  if  things  do  not  go  to  suit.  When  the  German  stops, 
he  is  fully  determined  to  make  things  suit  him,  and  im- 
mediately goes  to  work  to  that  end  and  accomplishes  it. 

I  notice  that  all  the  Germans  here  appear  to  speak 
English,  and  to  prefer  it  to  their  own  tongue.  I  remarked 
to  the  gentleman  with  whom  I  stopped,  that  I  was  sur- 
prised to  see  this  in  so  isolated  a  German  community. 
^^It  is  true,"  said  he,  ''  we  are  isolated,  but  we  cannot  tell 
how  soon  we  may  be  inundated  by  Americans;  and  we 
want  to  be  prepared  for  the  flood  when  it  comes.  Besides, 
we  often  have  Americans  with  us,  and  we  should  feel  very 
awkward  if  we  could  not  speak  to  them  in  their  language. 
This  is  our  home  now,  and  we  do  not  feel  that  we  could  be 
as  good  citizens  as  we  want  to  be,  unless  we  spoke  our  home 
language."  I  asked  if  the  Germans  learned  English  mostly 
by  contact  with  Americans,  or  from  books,  *^By  prac- 
ticing it,"  said  he,  ^^  among  themselves,  getting  their  start 
mostly  from  books." 

The  more  I  see  of  the  Germans,  the  more  I  think  of 
them.  They  almost  invariably  has^e  nice  ancj.  happy  homes, 
and  always  have  something  good  to  eat  and  drink.  I  am 
unable  to  say  whether  this  latter  is  a  cai]se  or  result  of 
their  high  civilization  ;  but  this  is  certain  ;  a  people  who 
do  not  eat  and  drink  \yell,  are  never  of  a  high  civilization  ; 
and  this  will  be  noticed  as  niuch  aniong  private  families 
as  among-  peoples  and  races..  Poor,  miserable,  or  coarse 
eating  seems  to  dwarf  the  intellect  and  suppress  every  noble 
9 


194     TWO   THOUSAND    MILES   IX   TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK. 

aspiration  of  the  heart.  Thus,  the  Mexicans  appear  to  live 
mainly  upon  onions  and  red  pepper,  and  behold  what  a 
folk  they  are  !  The  Esquimaux  lives  mostly  on  oil  and 
tallow,  and  behold  him  !  The  Hottentot  lives  mostly  on 
squashes  and  pumpkins,  and  behold  the  thing  that  has  the 
form  of  man  !  I  think  it  is  very  true  that  if  you  will  find 
what  a  people  put  into  their  bellies,  you  will  have  no  diffi- 
culty in  judging  what  may  be  expected  to  come  out  of 
them  in  the  way  of  character  and  talents. 

A  Garden  iin"  a  Wilderness. 

This  is  indeed  a  garden  in  a  wilderness,  a  spot  in  which 
one  can  linger  and  be  happy.  Here  is  a  nursery  in  which 
sixty  varieties  of  roses  grow,  and  hundreds  of  the  finest 
flora  of  three  continents  :  sixty  varieties  of  pear,  forty  of 
peach,  and  an  army  of  apples,  plums  and  grapes — all  cul- 
tivated and  arranged  with  taste  and  skill  that  cannot  be 
excelled.  It  was  curious  to  see  such  an  industry  in  so 
isolated  and  remote  a  region  ;  and  nothing  could  possibly 
indicate  so  well  the  higher  civilization  of  the  people  of  the 
valley,  as  the  fact  stated  to  me  by  the  proprietor,  that  he 
had  in  them  liberal  and  profitable  customers.  '^  I  am 
sure,''  said  he,  ^'  that  our  valley  will  soon  have  as  fine  vine- 
yards, orchards  and  gardens  as  any  country  in  the  world, 
and  I  feel  some  little  pride  in  the  thought  that  it  is  I  that 
am  doing  it/''  He  held  that  people  could  not  be  happy  and 
really  blessed  until  they  had  vineyards  and  orchards  ;  in 
which  view  I  heartily  concurred.  The  proprietor  is  a 
German  gentleman,  of  high  educational  attainments,  and 
he  is  a  blessing  to  Loyal  Valley,  and  to  remote  regions 
beyond  it.     His  light  shines  afar  off.* 

The  people  of  the  valley  are  farmers,  but  all  have  their 
cattle,  and  some  have  herds  of  sheep.  Wheat  is  the  chief 
product.    Their  houses  are  stone,  and  often  they  have  stone 

*  Mr.  J.  O.  Meusebach. 


TWO   THOUSAND    MILES   IK   TEXAS    ON   HORSEBACK.      195 

fences,  though  timber  is  abundant.  They  said  they  were 
not  annoyed  by  Indians,  because  they  were  so  isolated,  and 
kept  but  few  horses  to  tempt  them.  ''  They  think  we  are 
too  poor,"  said  they,  ''  to  steal  from." 

Physical  Features. 

This  valley  is  a  very  remarkable  one  ;  insomuch  that  it 
greatly  worried  my  studying  cap.  It  is  thirty  or  forty 
miles  long,  and  as  big  where  it  begins  as  where  it  ends. 
It  lies  between  solid  stone  walls,  from  one  hundred  and 
fifty  to  three  hundred  feet  high,  and  is  a  true  canyon.  It 
has  no  running  stream,  but  in  place  of  it  a  channel 
with  numerous  deep  pools.  It  seems  to  me  that  it  is  the 
bed  of  an  ancient  river,  which  might  have  flowed  south- 
west, though  its  drainage  is  now  in  the  opposite  direction. 
It  is  either  this,  or  the  earth  was  disrupted  by  a  great  ex- 
plosion, leaving  a  vast  chasm  three  to  five  miles  in  width, 
which  has  been  gradually  filling  up  by  silt  from  the  higher 
land ;  or  the  bottom  must  have  sunken  and  fallen  to  it3 
present  pitch.  But  whatever  cause  may  have  produced  it, 
it  is  certainly  one  of  the  most  charming  regions  of  Texas. 
The  soil  is  black  and  very  fertile,  and  groves  of  live-oak 
occur  at  short  intervals.  The  walls  appear  to  be  of  Silurian 
age,  and  consist  of  limestone  as  far  as  I  noticed  them. 

How  ONE  Feels  when  He  cannot  tell  which  End 
TO  Take. 

Rising  above  the  wall,  I  rode  through  a  fine  forest  of 
post-oak  and  black-jack,  in  which  deer  and  squirrels 
swarmed.  A  remarkable  strip  of  exceedingly  rich,  land 
with  its  jungle  alive  with  these  animals,  tempted  me 
to  stray  into  it.  When  I  turned  out  of  it,  I  pursued 
the  general  direction  of  the  road  I  had  left,  hoping  to 
strike  it  obliquely  after  a  time.  I  was  checked  up  a  while 
by  a  ravine,  which  seemed  to  wind  in  every  possible  direc- 


196     TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   I^   TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK. 

tion,  so  that  after  crossing  it  three  or  fonr  times,  I  was 
still  unable  to  say  on  which  side  I  was.  In  this  singular 
position  I  got  so  completely  wrapped  up  that  I  hardly 
knew  my  head  from  a  shot-gun,  but  finally  struck  out  on  a 
course  which  seemed  to  be  correct.  I  rode  into  a  flock  of 
peccaries  which  immediately  bristled  up  and  commenced 
popping  their  jaws.  Wishing  to  provoke  them  to  see 
what  they  would  do,  I  rode  slowly  toward  them,  while 
they  stood  hoofing  and  popping,  and  seizing  a  piece  of 
dead  branch, threw  it  in  their  midst,  at  the  same  time  call- 
ing them  an  ugly  name.  They  charged  me  instantly, 
raising  an  infernal  noise,  and  my  horse  taking  fright, 
dashed  through  the  woods  at  wild  speed,  my  head  being  in 
great  danger  of  being  shorn  off  by  a  limb.  I- was  unable 
to  stop  him  until  we  reached  another  ravine,  at  least  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  from  where  we  bounced  the  peccaries, 
and  here  I  found  myself  again  confused.  However,  I  got 
myself  straight  at  last,  or  thought  I  did,  and  rode  on  until 
I  found  the  road;  but  was  totally  unable  to  say  wiiether 
my  course  lay  to  the  right  or  left.  It  was  the  road  un- 
doubtedly, but  which  end  was  which  ?  I  was  seized  with 
a  feeling  of  drivelling  idiocy,  in  which  I  seemed  not  to 
have  a  vestige  of  mind  left.  I  felt  like  a  piece  of  dry 
sponge,  to  be  blown  about  by  the  winds  ;  I  had  a  most  dis- 
tressing sense  of  idiocy.  My  horse  seemed  to  be  even  a 
bigger  fool,  and  I  appealed  to  him  in  vain  to  show  me  the 
way — he  insisting  that  I  should  show  him.  Finally  I  re- 
covered sense  enough  to  recollect  that  I  had  a  compass  in 
my  coat  pocket.  This  was  tied  behind  the  saddle,  and  I 
had  sense  enough  to  undo  the  bundle.  The  way  the  com- 
pass indicated  I  should  go,  now  seemed  all  wrong,  but  I 
pursued  it  and  by  degrees  my  senses  returned,  and  I  found 
I  was  right.  If  any  one  has  been  in  similar  circumstances, 
he  will  remember  what  an  exceeding  drivelling  idiocy  he 
felt.     If  I  fall  into  such  condition  again,  having  no  com- 


TWO   THOUSAIS'D   MILES   IN"   TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK.    197 

pass,  I  will  lie  down  to  sleep  until  the  idiocy  has  passed. 
I  have  seen  wild  geese  frequently  attacked  by  the  same 
sort  of  stupidity,  while  on  their  annual  passage.  During 
the  occultation  they  sail  around  in  circles,  now  this  way 
and  then  that  way,  until  they  appear  to  have  gone  utterly 
crazy,  and  finally  settle  on  the  ground  in  a  state  of  ex- 
haustion and  desperation. 

The  Compass  akd  Aueoba. 

And  right  here  I  cannot  but  thint  of  the  vast  results 
that  have  sprung  from  the  discovery  of  that  singular  law 
of  nature  which  attracts  the  noedle  toward  the  pole. 
What  multitudes  has  it  saved  from  idiocy  and  starvation, 
and  what  revolutions  and  achievements  have  followed  in 
its  wake  ?  The  discovery  of  no  other  thing  has  wrought 
such  vast  results  to  mankind  ;  for  without  it,  this  great 
constellation  of  States  would  not  exist.  The  space  cov- 
ered by  them  would  still  be  a  wilderness,  tenanted  by 
beasts  and  savages  ;  the  seas  would  be  almost  as  sail- 
less  as  those  that  covered  the  primeval  world,  and  civiliza- 
tion would  never  have  liglited  its  torch  beyond  Europe 
and  the  shores  of  Asia.  It  is  probable  that  civilization 
would  finally  have  been  extinguished,  and  the  beneficent 
influences  of  Christianity  died  with  it  in  its  cradle.  The 
natural  law  under  which  this  strange  attraction  exists,  is, 
to  my  mind,  an  unexplained  mystery,  like  the  beautiful 
Aurora  which  lifts  its  gaudy  curtains  over  the  pole.  Per- 
haps it  is  the  Aurora  that  has  charmed  the  needle,  and 
makes  it  always  look  to  behold  it.  I  see  in  them  another 
evidence  of  the  Grand  Architect,  who  finds  beautiful  and 
mysterious  ways  to  lead  us  to  his  work.  It  is  remark- 
able that  His  ways  are  all  of  infinite  beauty.  He  unfolded 
the  gaudy  curtains  of  Aurora,  and  behold,  the  needle  leapt 
up  to  it  and  points  tremblingly  to  it  forever  ;  and  all  the 
seas  immediately  became  white  with  sails,  and  Christianity 


198     TWO  THOUSAN^D   MILES   IN"   TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK. 

and  eiTilization  went  forth  hand  in  hand  to  illumine  all 
the  dark  places  of  the  world  !  Little  instrument,  what  a 
revolution  has  been  that  caused  by  thee  !  The  stars  sang 
together  when  thou  wert  born  ! 

EuiN. — The  Youkg  Geologist. 

Passed  out  of  the  forest  into  a  congeries  of  terrific  hills  ; 
black,  brown,  and  grey ;  some  misshappen  and  jagged,  and 
others  leaning  over  abysses,  as  if  contemplating  the  ruin 
below  them.  Here  the  volcanic  forces  thundered,  ripped  up 
the  bowels  of  the  earth,  tossed  the  ancient  strata  hither 
and  thither,  and  poured  out  their  molten  floods.  It  is  a 
seat  of  confusion  almost  unequalled — '^  of  desolation  lorn 
and  wild."  The  rocks  are  granite,  gneiss,  porphyry, 
masses  of  quartz,  slates,  agates,  and  glittering  micaceous 
sandstones.  Some  of  the  mountains  are  split  into  halves 
and  quarters,  and  the  detached  portions  thrown  into 
chasms  and  gorges  at  their  feet,  in  immense  piles  of  ruin. 
The  disturbances  here  must  have  been  of  long  continu- 
ance often  repeated.  The  older  granite  is  upheaved  and 
pierced  by  new  discharges  of  granite,  and  the  strati- 
fied rocks  are  tossed  upward  and  pitched  downward  in 
every  conceivable  direction ;  sometimes  lying  across  each 
other  in  promiscuous  heaps,  like  piles  of  fagots  thrown  to- 
gether by  urchins  for  a  bonfire.  The  date  of  these  dis- 
turbances is  probably  back  in  the  Silurian,  and  this  for- 
saken region  has  lain  in  ruin  ever  since.  It  was  above  the 
surface  when  the  great  tidal  wave  swept  from  the  north- 
west, for  its  boulders  are  strewn  from  the  foot  of  the  hills 
to  Loyal  Valley. 

This  is  the  sanctum  sanctorum  of  the  young  geologist — a 
retreat  in  which  his  devotions  to  science  would  rarely  be 
disturbed.  Let  him  put  this  country  together  again,  as  it 
was  before  the  tumultuous  central  fires  tossed  it  into  atoms, 
and  he  will  have  learned  it  all.     He  might  build  a  little 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IK   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.     199 

palace  of  agates  of  all  colors,  or  micaceous  sandstones  that 
sparkle  of  silver,  supported  on  pillars  of  porphyry,  and 
adorned  with  chambers  of  quartz  crystal.  Or  if  he  be  not 
architecturally  inclined,  I  doubt  not  he  could  find  some 
glorious  grotto  under  the  hills,  spangled  with  crystal  and 
gems,  where  he  and  his  nymph  might  revel  in  the  luxury 
of  love  and  learning  ;  for  surely  he  would  not  be  without 
a  nymph.  Would  not  such  a  residence  with  some  fairy  of 
these  grottoes  be  charming  ?  With  her  wand  she  might 
bring  him  honey  from  the  hills,  or  sparkling  wine  from 
the  fountains  in  the  rock,  and  he  could  sip  ambrosia  from 
her  lips.  Perhaps  with  that  same  wand  she  might  touch 
his  forehead,  making  his  mind  gush  with  brilliance,  before 
which  the  clouds  that  cover  the  mystery  of  creation  would 
be  instantly  dispelled  ?  Would  it  not  be  passing  sweet  to 
be  taught,  in  such  a  place,  science  from  the  female  lips 
and  eyes  of  a  young  fairy  ?  Child  of  science — here  is  thy 
home  !     Come  hither — hasten  hither  I 


11. 

There  are  no  pretty  little  vales  winding  amid  these 
ruins  of  the  Silurian  world.  There  are  vales,  but  they  are 
strewn  with  boulders  that  have  thundered  from  the  hills. 
The  road  winds  amid  the  ruins  like  a  ship  tacking  against 
a  contrary  wind  ;  now  hither,  now  thither,  but  ever  urging 
slowly  ahead.  I  would  not  give  three  cents  for  ten  square 
miles  of  this  country,  except  as  a  school  of  science. 


III. 


The  Froktiersmai^. — The  War  op  the  Sheafs  A]S"d 
Horns. 

I  HAD  loitered  so  much  that  darkness  was  on  me  the 
moment  I  emerged  out  of  the  chaos  into  the  valley  of 
the  river  Llano,  only  twenty-three  miles  from  Loyal  Valley. 
I  solicited  entertainment  at  a  small  stone  house — the  first 
I  had  seen  since  morning— and  it  was  accorded.  My  en- 
tertainer was  a  robust  old  man,  as  grizzly  as  the  granite 
promontories,  and  in  person  quite  as  rugged.  His  face  and 
lips  were  covered  with  a  stiff  greybeard,  his  head  shingled, 
so  that  the  crisp  hair  stuck  upward  like  the  quills  of  a  por- 
cupine, and  his  waist  and  shoulders  were  Atlantean.  He 
was  evidently  sixty  years  of  age  or  beyond,  but  it  was 
equally  evident  that  he  still  retained  the  strength  of  a  lion  ; 
and  that  he  would  use  it  as  a  lion,  should  occasion  make  it 
at  all  necessary,  no  one  could  look  upon  him  and  doubt. 
His  steel-grey  eyes  denoted  caution  and  resolution  ;  in 
short,  he  looked  like  a  man  bred  to  rough  things,  and  to 
the  control  of  them,  not  courting  danger,  and  the  last  to 
avoid  it  when  it  comes.  He  was  of  few  words,  and  those 
straight  to  the  point.  He  manifested  the  profoundest  in- 
difference as  to  who  I  was  or  what  was  my  business.  I 
endeavored  once  or  twice  to  pique  his  curiosity  on  these 
points,  but  he  pushed  it  off.  He  treated  me  with  all  be- 
coming politeness,  but  no  familiarity.  He  received  me  as 
a  stranger,  and  was  evidently  resolved  that  I  should  depart 
as  one.     The  poise  of  the  old  man  was  so  perfect  that  it 


TWO   THOUSA^-D   MILES   IIT   TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK.     201 

sometimes  seemed  to  me  almost  burlesque.  When  he  came 
out  to  meet  me  at  the  gate  he  had  a  book  in  his  hand, 
which  I  afterwards  learned  was  the  poems  of  Kobert  Burns. 
It  was  about  the  last  Jbook  I  would  have  expected  to  see  in 
his  hands,  and  it  caused  me  to  gaze  at  him  wifch  all  the 
more  wonder. 

This  county  of  Mason  has  the  most  evil  reputation  in 
Texas  for  dark  deeds.  Indeed,  until  latterly,  war  prevailed 
in  it:  neighbor  shooting  down  neighbor  as  he  would  a  wolf 
or  hjens,,  and  the  law  was  a  dead  letter.  I  asked  this  man 
of  few  words  what  was  the  cause  of  this,  not  doubting  that 
he  had  had  his  share  in  it.  He  said  the  quarrel  arose  be- 
tween the  farmers  and  stock-men,  the  latter  being  all 
Americans,  and  the  former  nearly  all  Germans.  The 
farmers  were  too  lazy  or  too  negligent  to  build  substantial 
fences  about  their  fields,  and  the  cattle  broke  in  and  de- 
stroyed their  crops.  The  farmers,  instead  of  making  their 
fences  strong,  undertook  to  protect  their  crops  by  shooting 
their  neighbors'  cattle.  It  was  useless  to  appeal  to  the  law 
for  redress  or  fco  correct  the  evil,  for  the  small  farmers 
greatly  preponderated  and  would  control  all  Juries.  To 
retaliate  and  repair  the  loss,  the  stock-men  drove  off  the 
few  cattle  the  farmers  had,  and  sold  them.  This  opened 
the  warfare,  and  some  thirty  of  the  citizens  were  shot, 
some  of  them  in  the  presence  of  their  families.  The  usu- 
ally peaceful  German  was  as  ready  to  pull  trigger  as  any- 
one, and  from  all  I  could  learn  from  the  old  man,  shared 
about  equally  with  the  Americans  in  the  dark  deeds.  Mine 
host  was  evidently  a  partisan  of  the  stock-men,  and  for  all 
I  know,  one  of  their  leaders.  He  remarked  :  '^  1  hope  it 
is  all  over.  Enough  blood  has  been  shed  to  bring  a  bad 
name  on  our  county,  and  satisfy  all  that  no  good  can  come 
in  that  way.  There  has  been  no  shooting  for  sometime 
past.  It  is  all  with  the  farmers  to  stop  this  thing  or 
continue  it.  If  they  continue  to  shoot  our  cattle  for 
9* 


202     TWO   THOUSAND   MILES  IIS"  TEXAS   01^   HORSEBACK. 

breaking  into  their  fields,  which  have  no  proper  fences, 
the  feud  will  go  on,  and  no  one  knows  where  it  will  end. 
Let  them  build  good  fences  or  quit  farming,  and  there  will 
be  peace.  And  there  is  no  excuse  for  not  building  good 
fences  where  stone  and  timber  abound.  I  am  no  farmer  ; 
at  least,  that  is  not  my  trade,  but  I  have  strong  fences 
about  my  fields,  which  no  animal  can  break  through.  Why 
cannot  they  have  the  same  ?  If  my  fences  were  poor,  I 
should  expect  my  neighbors'  cattle  to  break  into  my  fields  ; 
but  the  fault  would  be  mine,  not  my  neighbor's,  and  I 
would  have  no  right  to  shoot  his  cattle — much  less  to 
shoot  him."* 

*  Mason  county  is  now  one  of  the  most  quiet  in  the  State,  and  has  been  for 
some  months.  The  feud  between  the  cattle-men  and  farmers  has  ended,  and  per- 
manent peace  seems  to  reign. 


III. 


SOFTEI^ED. 

A  SHUCK  mattress  to  him  who  rides  over  these 
mountains  is  sweeter  than  a  bed  of  roses  to  the 
voluptuary.  I  have  tested  both,  and  I  know.  Venison 
and  fresh  trout  from  the  Llano  formed  a  conspicuous  fea- 
ture of  my  breakfast,  flanked  by  eggs,  and  cake  and  honey. 
Asking  for  my  bill,  the  response  was:  *^I  do  not  keep 
hotel ;  you  owe  me  nothing  ;  if  you  pass  this  way  again,  I 
will  be  pleased  to  have  you  stop."  So  much  for  this 
rugged  old  frontiersman,  who  loves  Burns,  and  would 
probably  not  step  round  the  corner  to  avoid  any  danger, 
whether  from  wild  beasts,  savages,  or  farmers  who  shoot 
his  cattle.  His  most  polite  words  were  his  last.  I  was 
not  surprised  at  his  excellent  degree  of  civilization  after 
seeing  how  well  he  fed. 

EiVER  Llako. 

Eiver  Llano  sparkles  with  almost  Comal  limpidity,  and 
carries  about  that  bulk  of  water.  From  its  source  to  its 
mouth  in  the  Colorado,  it  is  perpetually  singing  or  roaring 
over  cascades;  sometimes  creeping  along  silently  a  few 
hundred  yards  through  deep  chasms.  Like  Niagara,  it 
has  quarried  its  way  through  miles  of  solid  rock,  but  the 
material  it  has  labored  in  is  infinitely  harder,  being 
mostly  granite,  gneiss,  quartz,  and  massive  iron.  Occa- 
sionally the  volcanic  forces  have  come  to  its  assistance, 
rending  the  obstructing  rock  and  lifting  it  apart  in  per- 
pendicular walls.  It  is  alive  with  perch,  trout,  eels  and 
big-eyed,  blue  cat-fish,  which  take  the  hook  eagerly,  and 


204     TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IK   TEXAS   0:N"   HOESEBACK. 

it  is  one  of  the  most  delightful  retreats  in  the  world  for 
the  sportsman.  He  may  play  Isaac  Walton  to  his  heart's 
content  in  its  waters,  and  Nimrod  on  its  banks,  its  forest 
and  mountainous  recesses,  and  the  scenery  is  always  beau- 
tiful or  grand.  Should  he  wish  occasionally  to  turn  phi- 
losopher and  study  nature,  its  infinitely  varied  rocks  and 
gems  and  minerals  furnish  studio  and  laboratory  on  every 
hand.  For  a  water-power,  I  doubt  if  there  is  a  river  in 
the  world,  of  no  greater  size  and  length,  that  is  its  equal. 
And  yet  not  one  ten-thousand-millionth  of  this  enormous 
power  is  utilized. 

Its  valley  is  usually  about  a  mile  wide,  but  often  the 
elevations  bathe  their  bases  in  its  water  on  both  sides.  Its 
soil  is  of  a  reddish  cast,  derived  from  granite  and  porphyry, 
not  so  fertile  as  the  valleys  of  most  Texas  streams,  but 
yields  abundantly  of  grain.  It  has  this  splendid  advan- 
tage :  there  is  hardly  a  foot  of  it  that  may  not  be  irrigated 
with  little  cost  of  labor  or  money  ;  but,  as  easy  as  irriga- 
tion is,  the  people  have  little  or  none  of  it.  They  are 
mainly  engaged  in  stock,  and  make  agriculture  a  third- 
rate  matter.  The  valley  is  thinly  settled  with  a  hospita- 
ble people.  I  notice  that  many  of  the  ladies  can  walk  bare- 
footed over  rocks  and  pedrigals,  and  seem  to  prefer  this 
way  of  locomotion.  It  is  unnecessary  to  go  beyond  this 
fact  to  learn  what  their  husbands  are.  The  latter  wore 
six-shooters  and  buckskin,  and  were  bronzed  and  rugged. 
I  imagine  that  few  of  them  would  stop  to  contemplate  a 
daisy  or  tulip,  or  even  a  big  sun-flower.    They  are  Cossacks.  * 


Eode  up  the  valley.    Beautiful  region;  the  dark  Primi- 
tive hills  across  the  river  to  the  left ;  the  smooth  valley 

*  I  wish  to  be  understood  that  this  remark  is  meant  only  for  the  lords  of  those 
ladies  who  walk  barefooted  over  rocks. 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IK"  TEXAS   OK"   HORSEBACK.     205 

before  me,  dotted  with  noble  groves  of  live-oak,  and  ele- 
vated and  smooth  or  undulating  woodlands  to  the  right, 
covered  with  open  forests  of  live-oak  and  post-oak,  and 
occasional  prairie  lawns  between.  Kich  mesquite  grew 
everywhere.  The  timber  on  the  river  bank  is  mostly 
pecan,  elm  and  ash.  Air  delightful.  Elevation  two  thou- 
sand feet  above  the  sea.  White  farmhouses  at  wide  dis- 
tances basking  in  the  sun-light. 

Fort  Masok. — A  Surprise. 

Some  ten  miles  brought  me  to  the  capital  of  Mason 
County.  It  is  a  site  that  is  all  beauty.  It  sits  on  a  lofty 
prairie,  with  a  noble  prospect  of  great  circumference.  To 
him  who  approaches  it,  it  seems  a  new  Mecca,  with  its 
white  walls  and  green  foliage  ;  and  when  he  enters  it  the 
pleasing  impression  is  not  dispelled.  It  is  a  village  of 
seven  or  eight  hundred  people,  whose  houses  are  granite 
and  other  stones,  and  many  of  them  are  spacious  and  fine. 
This  is  the  characteristic  of  all  the  stores,  and  they  are 
numerous  and  carry  large  stocks.  In  such  a  region  I  was 
surprised  at  such  architecture  and  such  wealth  of  com- 
merce. The  conviction  at  once  seized  me  that  these  people 
are  of  much  greater  population  than  I  had  supposed,  and 
all  rich.  In  the  first  conviction  I  was  wrong,  for  I  was 
assured  that  the  entire  population  of  the  county  did  not 
exceed  two  thousand,  spread  over  a  thousand  square  miles 
of  territory.  In  the  latter  I  was  right,  for  the  merchants 
told  me  that  they  all  have  plenty  of  money,  and  spend  it 
liberally  for  everything  except  dress.  We  have  tried,  said 
they,  to  introduce  dressy  notions,  but  not  even  the  ladies 
will  take  to  them.  Said  one  :  Were  it  not  for  the  winter 
northers  and  summer  heats,  I  believe  all  sorts  would  pre- 
fer the  original  dress — a  good  coat  of  skin  and  hair.  It  is 
not  strange  that  men  in  such  a  region,  and  of  such  occu- 
pation, should  care  nothing  for  dress,  except  as  covering 


206     TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN    TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK. 

from  thorns  and  weather;  but  the  ladies  shouhi  do  better. 
It  would  have  a  mollifying  and  subduing  and  an  elevating 
influence  on  their  lords,  who  need  it.  They  should  beau- 
tify and  adorn  themselves,  and  spikenard  themselves  for 
their  lions.  I  doubt  if  the  most  ferocious  and  savage  in 
the  world  could  long  remain  uncivilized,  if  subjected  to 
the  influences  of  a  sensible  and  tastily  dressed  lady,  par- 
ticularly if  she  would  sing.  As  for  myself,  I  regard  music 
and  female  beauty  as  the  most  powerful  forces  in  the 
world.  They  need  only  to  be  exerted  to  create  revolutions. 
Man  was  not  made  to  withstand  such  influences. 

In  the  midst  of  all  this  attractiveness,  there  is  one 
great  harshness.  The  men,  excepting  those  who  live  in 
the  village,  are  walking  arsenals.  They  bristle  with  pis- 
tols, blades  and  rifles,  and  their  heels  clank  with  prodigious 
spurs.  The  village  looked  as  if  it  had  been  entered  by  a 
regiment  of  Cossacks,  and  was  strongly  suggestive,  on  that 
account,  of  force,  bloodshed  and  robbery.  Yet  these  arse- 
nals bore  themselves  with  courtesy  to  all,  and  I  heard  no 
harsh  voices  and  saw  no  demonstrative  demeanor  even  in 
the  drinking  saloons,  which  I  also  visited.  They  evidently 
solicit  no  quarrels,  but  seem  to  be  ever  on  the  alert,  and 
being  in  them,  blood  would  flow.  A  gentleman  among 
them  would  be  as  secure  and  as  hospitably  cared  for  as 
anywhere  in  the  world ;  but  still,  all  of  this  is  disagreeable 
to  see. 

The  Tamed  Lion  and  the  Wild  One. 

I  dined  at  an  inn,  and  was  waited  upon  by  a  bright 
little  miss  of  fifteen  or  sixteen  summers,  who  was  a  sweet 
little  chatter-box.  I  told  her  I  did  not  like  the  Mason 
people,  with  their  pistols  and  big  blades.  *^  Oh,  they  are 
horrid,"  said  she.  ^^I  am  sometimes  so  fj'ightened  in  the 
dining-room,  when  they  are  all  at  the  table,  that  I  can 
hardly  handle  the  dishes  ;  and  if  I  am  asked  for  sugar  and 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IK   TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK.     207 

pies,  I  am  just  as  apt  to  give  them  pepper  and  beef.  Sup- 
pose one  of  those  great  pistols  should  fall  on  the  floor  ;  it 
might  go  off  and  kill  me  !  But  the  gentlemen  are  mighty 
well-behaved,  at  least  when  they  are  here.  But  oh,  those 
terrible  pistols  and  knives  !  I  wish  there  were  none  in  the 
world.  ^' 

"  Do  they  wear  their  pistols  and  knives  when  they  at- 
tend weddings  and  balls  ?  " 

'^  Yes,  sir,  they  do ;  but  they  don't  always  dance  with 
them  on." 

'^  Would  you  dance  with  a  gentleman  wearing  a  pistol 
or  bowie-knife  ?  " 

"No,  sir,  I  would  not.  I  have  refused  to  dance  with 
many  a  gentleman  because  he  had  on  his  pistol,  and  I  told 
them  so." 

"  How  did  they  take  that  ?  " 

"  They  said  I  was  right,  and  they  always  took  them 
off." 

"  You  think  then,  you  could  tame  one  of  these  fierce 
lions?" 

"  I  could  try  !  " 

"  Which  would  you  prefer — a  wild,  fierce  lion  whom 
you  could  tame,  or  a  gentle  one,  already  tamed  ?  " 

'^  May  be  the  tame  one  would  be  tamed  too  much  !  " 

^^  So,  if  two  lions  should  besiege  your  castle,  one  wild 
and  the  other  tame,  you  would  unbar  the  gates  and  let  the 
wild  one  in." 

"  Oh  I  would  not  let  either  of  them  in.  I  would  set 
the  dogs  on  them  and  drive  them  off."  But  this  was 
spoken  with  a  coquettish  laiigh  which  showed  too  plainly 
that  the  wild  one  might  enter,  and  the  tame  one  could  go 
on  and  fare  worse.  Such  are  female  hearts.  Being  gentle 
themselves,  they  rather  admire  the  ungentle.  A  sub-lieu- 
tenant with  a  copious  array  of  buttons,  is  a  thousand  times 
more  formidable  in  the  eyes  of  average  young  women  than 


208     TWO   THOUSAND    MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK. 

a  whole  army  of  bishops  and  monks.  I  was  charged  fifty 
cents  for  my  dinner  and  horse-feed.  The  viands  were  in- 
finitely good.  There  were  venison  and  wild  turkey,  and  a 
glorious  array  of  wild  honey. 

Mason  is  surrounded  with  farms,  some  of  them  very 
handsome  and  showing  high  tillage.  The  products  are 
almost  exclusively  wheat  and  corn. 

E.  E.  Lee. 

!N"ot  far  from  the  town,  near  the  road  I  travel,  stand 
the  ruins  of  Fort  Mason,  a  military  post  before  the  war, 
but  now  abandoned.  Here  for  a  long  time  dwelt  Robert 
E.  Lee,  a  lieutenant-colonel  in  a  regiment  of  U.  S.  Cav- 
alry. Albert  Sidney  Johnston  was  his  colonel,  but  then 
commanded  on  the  Pacific  coast.  The  people  delight  to 
speak  of  him  and  tell  how  he  visited  their  houses.  They 
say  he  was  the  most  courteous,  simplest  and  purest  of  men, 
with  native  dignity,  gentle  and  unobtrusive,  yet  singularly 
commanding.  A  lady  said  to  me:*  ^^He  was  full  of  affa- 
bility and  small  talk  to  the  ladies,  but  none  of  us  could  be 
in  his  presence  a  moment  without  the  instinctive  feeling 
that  one  of  the  greatest  of  men  was  before  us."  A  gen- 
tleman once  remarked  to  me  :  ^^  I  never  saw  General  Lee 
but  oncCj  but  he  made  an  impression  upon  me  I  cannot 
forget.  He  was  standing  upon  the  gallery  of  the  govern- 
ment building  in  San  Antonio,  watching  a  squad  of  infan- 
try that  were  being  drilled  by  a  lieutenant.  His  appear- 
ance was  so  impressive  that  I  stopped  to  look  at  him  and 
ask  who  he  was.  There  was  a  remarkable  repose  about 
him,  singularly  in  contrast  with  the  group  of  officers  about 
him.  He  seemed  a  column  of  antique  marble,  a  pillar  of 
state — so  calm,  so  serene,  so  thoughtful,  and  so  command- 
ing !  I  stood  within  a  few  feet  of  him,  perhaps  ^ve  min- 
utes, and  during  the  time  he  did  not  once  open  his  lips. 
The  conviction  possessed  me  at  once,  and  I  said  involun- 

*  In  San  Antonio. 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN  TEXAS   OK   HOESEBACK.     209 

tarily  to  myself  :  ^  There  stands  a  great  man  ! '  At  that 
time  the  id,ea  of  the  States  at  war  with  each  otlier  had 
never  crossed  my  mind.  After  the  war  had  broken  out 
and  I  had  heard  that  Lee  had  been  appointed  to  a  high 
command  in  the  southern  army,  I  said  to  a  major  of  the 
U.  S.  army,  who  knew  him  well,  that  I  believed  he  would 
turn  out  the  greatest  figure  of  the  war.     The  major  said  : 

*  Give  Lee  a  city  and  tell  him  to  fortify  and  defend  it,  and 
it  never  will  be  captured.  But  give  him  a  command  in  the 
open  field,  and  he  will  prove  a  failure.  He  will  prove  too 
slow,  too  cautious,  too  methodical.  The  bad  man  of  this 
war  will  be  Albert  Sidney  Johnston — not  Lee  ! '  I  said — 

*  wait  and  we  will  see  ! '  And  the  terrible  battles  in  the 
open  field  against  McClellan,  Pope,  Burnside,  Hooker, 
Meade  and  Grant,  doubly  and  trebly  out-numbered  as  he 
was,  proved  that  my  involuntary  exclamation  when  I  saw 
him,  was  prophetic.  The  fame  of  this  man's  military  ge- 
nius will  grow  brighter  as  the  ages  advance,  and  generals 
will  study  his  campaigns  to  learn  how  to  fight." 

And  I  will  add  that  the  people  of  the  North  will,  as 
time  advances,  feel  quite  as  much  pride  in  the  genius  and 
deeds  of  Lee  as  the  people  of  the  South.  The  names  of 
Wallace  and  Bruce  are  to-day  heard  as  pleasantly  along  the 
banks  of  the  Thames  as  in  the  Scottish  Highlands.  Time 
and  Death  are  terrible  things  to  prostrate  men's  prejudices. 
The  gem  may  be  obscured,  but  it  shines  nevertheless,  and 
its  light  bursts  forth  after  a  while. 

The   WlLDERlSTESS   Al^B   THE   LiVE-OAK. 

A  few  miles  from  Mason  the  settlements  totally  disap- 
pear, and  I  am  again  in  the  wilderness,  but  it  is  a  wilder- 
ness of  beauty — so  beautiful  that  it  seems  strange  that  in 
this  populous  world  it  should  be  a  wilderness.  The  land 
flows  in  green  undulations,  here  and  there  rising  into  a 
solitary  mountain,  and  here  and  there  into  groups  of  moun- 


210     TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IIJ?"   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK. 

tains  ;  wide  belts  of  timber  ever  in  sight,  and  the  prairies 
laid  off  into  parks  of  live-oak  :  the  soil  always  rich.  The 
live-oaks  are  the  grandest  specimens  I  have  seen  of  that 
tree,  and  they  look  as  if  the  ancient  centuries  had  waved 
their  wings  above  them.  Some  are  sixty  feet  high,  with 
branches  reaching  outward  nearly  an  equal  distance  from 
the  trunks.  Sometimes  these  branches  incline  downward 
until  they  quite  touch  the  ground,  forming  shady  recesses 
like  the  tent  of  a  circus,  their  dark  evergreen,  glistening 
foliage  serving  for  the  tent-cloth.  This  is  perhaps  the 
hardest,  toughest,  heaviest  and  most  durable  of  woods. 
Let  one  be  seasoned,  and  then  attempt  to  cut  it  with  an 
axe:  ^'hic  opus,  hie  labor  est.'''  I  have  seen  the  strong- 
est man  strike  it  the  heaviest  blow  that  he  could,  and  the 
only  token  was  a  sharp,  metallic  ring  and  the  rebound  of 
the  axe.  It  is  so  compact  that  in  the  fire  it  burns  like  an- 
thracite. A  decayed  live-oak  perhaps  no  man  ever  saw, 
and  its  growth,  from  its  compactness  and  hardness,  must 
be  infinitely  prolonged.  I  have  never  seen  the  man  who 
could  say  :  ''I  knew  this  live-oak  when  it  was  a  sapling." 
I  doubt  not  that  many  of  these  before  me  are  a  thousand 
years  old.  Its  acorns  are  abundant,  and  make  an  excellent 
food  for  bears  and  hogs. 

The  botanists  say  that  this  tree  grows  only  in  the 
^'  maritime  or  low  districts  of  the  Southern  States."  Here 
it  attains  its  most  splendid  development,  three  hundred 
miles  inland,  and  at  an  elevation  at  least  two  thousand  feet 
above  the  sea !  So  much  for  those  who  write  botany  at 
home !  * 

A  Gentleman  in  Distressed  Circumstances. 

The  country  was  so  gloriously  beautiful  that  I  chose  to 
loiter  by  the  way.  I  was  sitting  on  the  bank  of  one  of 
those  Peri-haunted  brooks  of  Mason,  chewing  a  little  dried 
beef  and  watching  the  trouts  like  a  bevy  of  boys  and  girls 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IX   TEXAS   05^    HORSEBACK.     211 

playing  in  the  water,  when  quite  a  little  incident  befell 
me,  which  certainly  I  could  not  have  expected  in  this  soli- 
tary region  of  beauty.  I  beheld  descending  the  long  slope 
which  led  into  the  valley  of  the  brook,  a  solitary  red  dog 
trotting  along  the  road  toward  me,  with  his  head  to  the 
ground.  When  within  fifty  yards,  he  suddenly  halted, 
and  looking  around  perceived  me.  For  some  moments  he 
stood  motionless,  gazing  upon  me  as  if  he  felt  astonished 
to  see  a  human  being  in  this  region.  Presently  he  dropped 
his  hind-quarters  deliberately  to  the  ground,  and  com- 
menced gazing  more  intently  than  before.  I  thought  he 
was  the  advance  courier  of  some  stock-man  or  train,  and 
expected  every  moment  to  see  a  horseman  or  wagon  ap- 
pear on  the  hill.  But  none  appearing,  I  began  to  feel 
quite  as  much  interest  in  the  stranger  as  he  evidently  felt 
in  me.  I  called  him:  ^' Come,  Towser!"  No  response. 
'^Come  on,  old  fellow  !  "  A  wag  of  the  tail.  These  invi- 
tations repeated  several  times,  he  at  last  rose  from  his 
haunches  and  began  to  approach  me  cautiously  and  indeci- 
sively, and  again  placed  himself  on  his  hind-quarters  when 
about  twenty  yards  off.  Here  he  sat  intently  gazing,  as 
if  resolving  some  extremely  doubtful  but  interesting  prob- 
lem in  his  mind,  lifting  his  ears  and  wagging  his  tail  when 
I  addressed  him,  but  never  budging  an  inch.  At  last  I 
held  out  a  long  strip  of  dried  beef,  inviting  him  to  come 
and  partake,  at  the  same  time  taking  an  occasional  bite  of 
it  myself,  and  chewing  it  in  a  manner  to  indicate  to  him 
that  it  was  very  good.  A  breeze  just  then  wafted  a  savory 
odor  into  his  nostrils,  which  was  more  than  he  could  stand; 
for  he  immediately  began  to  advance  and  did  not  stop  until 
he  was  within  ten  feet  of  me,  when  he  again  planted  him- 
self upon  his  hind-quarters  and  gazed,  first  on  me,  then 
on  the  strip  of  beef — then  on  the  strip  of  beef,  and  then 
on  me. 

He  was  a  sight  to  behold — a  sight  to  startle  the  blood 


212     TWO   THOUSAJS'D   MILES   IK   TEXAS   OJS"   HORSEBACK. 

with  amazement,  and  to  chill  it  with  horror.  He  was  a 
walking,  animated  death,  in  all  save  his  eager  eyes,  in 
which  a  dozen  lives  seemed  concentrated,  and  gleamed  with 
an  unearthly  fire.  He  reminded  me  so  much  of  the  horrid 
pictures  which  used  to  harrow  up  my  young  blood  in  child- 
hood days,  in  an  old  book  in  my  father's  library,  called 
''  Death's  Doings,"  that  I  was  stricken  with  awe,  and  felt  a 
shadow  of  superstition  creeping  over  me.  Yet  the  gleam 
of  those  eyes,  eager  and  fiery  as  they  were,  was  not  savage 
or  cruel ;  it  seemed  the  light  of  other  and  more  prosperous 
days  gleaming  through  a  present  of  the  profoundest  dreari- 
ness and  sorrow.  Every  rib  and  every  angle  of  his  frame 
was  shockingly  protuberant.  His  belly  was  so  pinched  up 
that  I  thought  his  entrails  had  withered  away  and  turned 
into  dust.  His  skin  stuck  around  him  so  closely  that  it 
seemed  that  the  poor  bones  would  break  under  the  pres- 
sure, and  fall,  in  rattling  fragments,  into  the  dry  cavity. 
The  hair  had  mostly  fallen  off,  and  appeared  only  here  and 
there  in  meagre  patches.  His  legs  were  scarcely  bigger 
than  pipe-stems,  and  looked  utterly  incompetent  to  bear 
even  the  fragile  form  above  them.  His  tail  was  but  a 
black,  rusty,  hairless  prolongation  of  skin  and  bone.  In 
short,  he  was  the  very  shadow  of  desolation.  How  such  a 
creature  as  this  had  the  vitality  to  walk,  much  less  to  trot, 
I  could  not  comprehend.  I  said  to  myself,  this  surely  is  a 
gentleman  in  reduced  circumstances,  wafted  by  some  mer- 
ciful zephyr  into  my  presence,  that  I  may  do  him  good  and 
thus  honor  myself.  I  gave  him  a  strip  of  dried  beef,  and 
as  he  took  it,  not  ravenously,  but  modestly,  into  his  jaws,  I 
positively  saw  a  crystal  tear  of  gratitude  course  down  his 
poor  cheeks.  He  squatted  on  the  ground,  on  his  belly,  at 
full  length,  and  holding  the  jerked  beef  between  his  two 
paws,  ate.  Grateful  as  was  this  luscious  morsel  to  his  poor 
palate,  he  did  not  forget  in  his  enjoyment  the  benefactor 
to  whom  he  owed  it.     Ever  and  anon  while  chewing  it,  he 


TWO    THOUSAND   MILES   II^T   TEXAS   01^  HORSEBACK.     213 

cast  upon  me  a  look  of  singular  tenderness,  which  affected 
nie  yery  much — insomuch  that  I  took  out  of  my  haversack 
the  last  morsel  of  dried  beef  that  I  had,  and  placed  it  be- 
fore him,  bidding  him  to  eat  heartily,  to  eat  it  all.  I  can 
remember  but  few  scenes  in  my  life  which  gave  me  so  much 
genuine  satisfaction  as  the  contemplation  of  the  intense 
joy  which  fortune  had  enabled  me  to  bestow  upon  this  poor 
dog.  After  he  had  consumed  the  last  strip  of  dried  beef, 
I  also  gave  him  my  entire  stock  of  hard-tack,  which  he 
also  ate  with  great  enjoyment.  Having  finished  the  last 
cracker  and  licked  up  the  crumbs  that  had  fallen  to  the 
ground,  he  went  to  the  brook  and  drank  heartily,  drank 
deeply,  and  then  came  and  placed  his  poor  liead  upon  my 
knee,  as  if  he  would  say — "  Whither  thou  goest,  I  will  go." 
In  consideration  of  the  mighty  strength  which  I  fancied 
had  once  dwelt,  and  might  still  lurk,  within  his  poor  frame, 
I  named  him  "The  Quadrilateral."  Whence  came  this 
poor  waif  and  what  was  he  ? 

Kecollecting  that  if  I  would  not  sleep  in  the  woods  or 
on  the  solitary  prairie,  I  must  be  up  and  going,  I  mounted 
my  horse  and  moved  onward.  Here  my  reduced  friend 
again  startled  me.  He  arose  also,  and  full  of  joyous  ex- 
pressions, galloped  and  curvetted  all  around  me.  I  was 
amazed,  wondering  how  such  merriment  and  such  activity 
could  inhabit  that  poor  body.  I  advised  him  to  be  cautious 
and  moderate  in  his  merriment,  lest  he  should  hurt  him- 
self. He  followed  me  along,  trotting  gaily  by  my  side, 
several  miles. 

Toward  sunset  he  suddenly  galloped  some  distance  in 
advance  of  me,  and  turned  off  to  the  right  of  the  road  and 
stopped;  and  resting  on  his  haunches,  he  looked  straight  at 
me.  Eiding  past  him,  he  still  did  not  move,  but  sat  look- 
ing wistfully  upon  me.  When  I  had  passed  him  about  a 
hundred  yards,  he  turned  repeatedly  to  look  to  the  right 
and  then  upon  myself,  as  if  he  would  invite  me  to  go  in 


214    TWO   TH0USA]5^D   MILES   IN   TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK. 

that  direction.  Seeing  that  I  did  not  stop,  presently  he 
came  galloping  toward  me,  but  instead  of  continuing  to 
follow  when  he  overtook  me,  he  stopped  again  and  looked 
to  the  right.  As  I  rode  on  I  called  him,  but  he  did  not 
come.  After  watching  me  some  time,  he  gave  a  low  bark, 
and  departed  as  rapidly  as  his  poor  bones  could  carry 
him,  fortified  as  they  were  with  all  my  dried  beef  and  hard- 
tack, over  the  undulating  hills  to  the  North.  Finally,  as 
he  rose  upon  one  hill  and  I  upon  another,  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  apart,  he  again  stopped  and  gazed  upon  me,  but  when 
I  rode  onward,  he  lifted  his  head  in  the  air  and  poured 
forth  a  piteous  howl  and  immediately  disappeared  under 
the  hill.  And  that  was  the  last  that  I  savv  of  my  reduced 
friend.  Quadrilateral.  I  said  :  "  And  wilt  thou  thus  leave 
me.  Quadrilateral  ?  And  wilt  thou  thus  abandon  thy 
benefactor,  who  has  fattened  thee  on  all  his  dried  beef 
and  crackers  ?  Alas,  such  is  the  way  of  the  world  ;  and 
thy  nature  is  but  human  nature  after  all !" 

I  put  it  up  that  he  belonged  to  some  frontiersman,  liv- 
ing perhaps  not  far  off  in  the  valley  of  the  San  Saba,  whom 
he  had  followed  on  a  trip;  and  some  cruel  accident  or 
severe  sickness  befalling  him,  he  had  retired  into  a  thicket 
to  die  of  starvation  or  recover  his  health  unaided,  as  best 
he  could.  Having  in  some  measure  recovered  his  health, 
he  was  now  struggling  to  bear  his  poor  bones  home.  In- 
deed, I  thought  it  was  somewhat  ungrateful  in  my  reduced 
friend,  after  the  great  benefit  I  had  bestowed  upon  him, 
to  leave  me  thus  alone  in  a  strange,  wild  country ;  but  I 
haven't  a  doubt  that  it  cost  him  a  cruel  pang  to  do  so. 
And  did  he  not,  in  the  best  way  he  knew  how,  kindly  in- 
vite me  to  his  home  ?  As  he  stood  motionless  upon  that 
last  hill,  I  doubt  not  that  he  was  debating  within  himself 
whether  it  was  better  to  abandon  his  benefactor  thus,  or 
to  return  to  his  old  friends  at  his  old  home.  I  dare  say 
he  thought  of  some  bright-eyed  boys  and  girls,  his  master's 


TWO   THOUSAND    MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.      215 

children,  who  had  wept  bitter  tears  over  his  loss,  and  he 
thought  how  happy  those  bright  eyes  would  be  to  see  him 
again — how  they  would  pat  him  on  the  head  with  joy,  and 
fill  him  with  raw  beef  and  venison  !  And  it  may  be  that 
a  thought  also  stole  across  his  mind,  that  however  kind 
the  stranger  had  been  to  him  in  his  distress,  yet  he  might 
not  like  his  company  always,  and  he  knew  that  the  bright- 
eyed  boys  and  girls  would  always  like  it.  These  reflec- 
tions were  enough  to  decide  his  mind,  and  I  cannot  blame 
him.  I  hope  that  he  may  always  be  prosperous  and  happy, 
and  remember  me  as  I  shall  remeri^ber  him.  Perhaps 
without  me  he  would  not  have  reo-ched  his  homo,  and  felt 
the  intense  joy  that  I  know  he  felt  when  he  reached  it ; 
but  however  that  may  be,  I  know  that  I  did  him  good,  and 
it  is  a  sweet  thought  to  kno>v  that.  I  had  made  up  my 
mind  that  he  might  follow  me  as  long  as  he  chose,  and  be- 
lieved that  he  might  render  me  service  in  the  wild  country 
through  which  I  am  to  pass. 

KlGHT, 

The  shades  of  a  moonless  and  cloudy  night  fall  upon 
me,  and  I  wander  alone  over  the  wild,  beo-utiful  country. 
I  fancy  that  I  feel  like  a  lonely  mariner  on  a  sea  of  which 
he  has  no  chart — whose  frail  craft  may  be  driven  at  any 
moment  on  some  fatal  rock.  How  do  I  know  that  I  may 
not  ride  at  any  moment  into  a  squad  of  murderous  sav- 
ages, or  a  company  of  ferocious  beasts  ?  It  is  easy  enough 
to  ride  alone  through  these  wildernesses  in  daylight.,  when 
one  has  all  nature  before  him  to  keep  him  company  and 
divert  his  mind  ;  but  at  niglit  it  is  a  different  matter. 
Then  the  m;ind  recoils  back  upon  you  and  hangs  doggedly 
around,  refusing  to  scale  the  black  walls  which  encompass 
you.     Ti^eji  it  is  that 

"  Darkness  yifible 
Serves  only  to  discover  sights  of  woe, 
Regions  of  sorrow,  dolefal  shades." 


216     TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK. 

Every  sound  that  you  bear  sends  your  fingers  to  your 
pistol  or  rifle  ;  every  Indian  atrocity  you  ever  heard  of  flits 
through  your  mind,  and  you  think  of  wild  beasts  with 
great,  gaping  mouths.  And  suppose  I  should  lose  the 
trail  and  strike  out,  Heaven  knows  whither,  on  the  bound- 
less plains,  with  nothing  in  my  haversack,  and  not  a  matcb 
to  light  a  fire.  On  I  speed,  my  horse  picking  up  his  iioofs 
faster  and  faster,  unable  to  see  ten  paces  before  me,  the 
laughing  owl  mocking  me  from  almost  every  tree,  and  the 
big  wolf  howling  sometimes  so  close  that  I  feel  the  vibra- 
tions in  the  atmosphere  caused  by  his  voice.  Sometimes 
a  night-bird  of  some  diminutive  species  flits  so  closely  to 
my  ear  that  it  sounds  like  the  whiz  of  a  poisoned  arrow 
aimed  at  my  heart. 

Three  hours  I  speed  along  till  I  enter  what  appears  an 
illimitable  range  of  mountains.  The  stones  clank  under 
my  horse's  feet,  and  I  can  see  the  big  black  outlines  loom- 
ing up  against  the  leaden  sky.  The  clouds  are  growing 
darker,  and  a  thick  mist  puffs  up  into  my  face  from  the 
gorges  and  chasms.  Now,  say  I  to  myself,  I  am  in  for  an 
all  night  ride,  for  if  I  would  stop,  where  can  I  find  a  rest- 
ing place  on  these  sharp  rocks  ? 

*  *  *  *  *  * 

The  Queen  and  the  Lily. 

A  half  dozen  big  dogs  barked  and  growled  furiously 
around  us,  but  my  horse  was  not  afraid  of  them  in  the 
least — neither  was  I.  Had  my  reduced  friend  Quadrilate- 
ral been  here,  how  quickly  they  would  have  crushed  his 
poor  bones  into  atoms  !  I  called  aloud,  and  presently  a 
light  appeared  through  the  openings  of  a  log-house.  The 
next  moment  a  strong  man,  bearing  a  lantern,  stood  before 
me.  I  said  :  ^'  I  am  a  wayfarer  who  would  ask  for  rest 
to-night  for  myself  and  horse." 

*^  You  are  welcome,  sir,"  said  the  man  with  the  lan- 
tern, ^'  if  you  can  put  up  with  such  as  we  can  give  you." 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   Il^T  TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.     217 

He  opened  the  gate  and  bade  me  ride  in.  He  led  to  a 
barn,  where  my  horse  was  placed  in  comfortable  quarters. 
Then  1  was  conducted  into  the  house,  and  a  bright  fire  soon 
glowed  on  the  hearth.  I  looked  at  my  watch,  and  it  was 
a  quarter  past  eleven  o'clock.  He  asked  me  from  what 
point  I  had  travelled.  I  told  him  and  he  said,  '^  It  is  a 
long  day's  ride.     You  must  be  hungry  as  well  as  tired." 

In  truth  I  was  hungry,  but  I  said:  ^^ Never  mind 
about  that,  sir.  I  am  content  to-night  with  lodging,  I  can 
well  wait  till  morning  for  my  supper." 

^^Oh,  no,"  said  he;  ^' one  who  has  been  out  all  day 
should  have  some  supper.     I  know  what  it  is  myself." 

This  was  so  promptly  spoken,  and  there  was  withal  so 
much  good  man  and  sincerity  about  it,  that  I  made  no 
further  objection.  The  frontiersman  stepped  to  a  room 
adjoining  the  one  in  which  I  sat,  and  standing  in  the  door, 
said  :  "  Girls,  rise  and  get  this  gentleman  some  supper." 
He  then  went  into  another  room  and  seemed  to  busy  him- 
self in  making  a  fire.  While  he  was  out,  I  observed  the 
room.  The  house  was  built  of  logs,  but  it  was  commo- 
dious and  scrupulously  neat.  Along  the  walls  were  a 
number  of  bucks'  antlers,  so  arranged  that  they  served  as 
shelves  for  several  rifles  and  shot-guns,  and  from  some  of 
them  hung  flasks  and  pouches  of  powder  and  ball.  The 
furniture  was  of  the  modest  sort ;  one  or  two  plain  tables 
and  chairs  with  raw-hide  bottoms.  Eather  a  costly  clock 
clicked  from  the  mantel-piece,  and  several  books  were 
ranged  upon  it,  mostly  devoted  to  subjects  connected  with 
rural  life.  There  was  some  evidence  of  female  taste  and 
hands  in  the  numerous  pictures  along  the  walls,  some  of 
which  had  been  cut  from  pictorial  weeklies.  Notwith- 
standing this  unpretentious  residence  and  its  meagre  furni- 
ture, there  was  something  that  seemed  to  say  that  the  air 
of  a  higher  civilization  rested  about  it. 

My  host  soon  returned.  He  was  certainly  not  a  showy 
10 


218    TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   li^"  TEXAS   ON   HOKSEBACK. 

man.  His  yizage  was  bronzed,  his  hands  rough  and  pow- 
erful, and  his  whole  appearance  showed  that  his  life  was 
passed  mostly  out  of  doors,  in  strong  physical  exercise. 
Yet  his  bearing  was  that  of  a  gentleman,  and  it  was  easy 
to  perceive  that  he  was  a  man  of  sense  and  some  scholar- 
ship. He  spoke  pure  English,  and  put  the  words  pat  in 
their  place,  and  there  was  sometimes  even  a  little  sus- 
picion of  the  stronger  poets  about  them.  I  said  to  myself: 
^'  This  is  the  style  of  man  to  subdue  the  wilderness  and 
make  it  blossom  :  vigor  of  body  with  vigor  and  some  grace 
of  mind."  And  yet,  I  had  as  yet  seen  none  of  the  blos- 
som, but  only  perceived  a  faint  suspicion  of  it.  I  said 
again  :  ''  This  is  either  a  column  of  marble  transported 
out  of  place,  or  it  is  a  phenomenon  amid  rocks  and  bram- 
bles." I  asked  him  if  he  was  engaged  in  agriculture  ? 
^'  N"ot  much,"  said  he  ;  ^^  only  enough  to  furnish  ourselves, 
and  a  little  for  those  who  may  be  passing.  Our  country 
is  noble  for  agriculture,  but  we  are  too  remote  to  make  it 
our  business.  What  we  raise  must  be  able  to  transport  it- 
self on  its  own  legs.  I  make  my  living  by  the  copulation 
of  my  bulls  and  cows." 

That  other  quotation  from  the  same  play  immediately 
flashed  upon  my  mind  :  ''  Good  sooth,  she  is  the  queen  of 
curds  and  cream  ! " — and  it  was  prophetic. 

Two  Surprises. 

Two  girls  now  entered  the  room  and  passed  into  an 
adjoining  one,  both  casting  a  look  upon  me  as  they  passed. 
That  was  the  kitchen,  for  my  nostrils  were  presently  sa- 
luted with  the  pleasing  odor  of  cooking  rations.  Soon  one 
returned  and  spread  a  white  cloth  on  a  table  at  my  side, 
other  articles  of  table-ware  quickly  following.  This  girl 
was  about  fifteen  or  sixteen,  and  a  blonde.  So  fair  was 
she  that  I  could  see  the  blue  veins,  like  little  "rivers  run- 
ning through  a  field  of  snow."    A  wealth  of  fair  locks  fell 


TWO   THOUSAND    MILES   IK   TEXAS   OK    HORSEBACK.     21Sr 

over  her  shoulders  unrestrained,  save  by  a  single  little  rib- 
bon. Her  eyes  were  blue,  like  the  blue-bird's  eggs  I  used 
to  rifle  from  the  nests  when  a  boy.  Sylph-like,  not  fragile, 
she  looked  as  if  she  had  done  nothing  all  her  life  but  laugh 
in  shaded  gardens  or  dance  in  marble  halls.  To  say  that 
she  was  pretty  would  simply  be  to  say  that  the  queen  rose 
is  so.  Her  beauty  was  of  that  style  which  seems  to  be  ever 
inviting  pursuit,  yet  ever  fleeing  when  the  pursuit  begins. 
Love  was  in  her  soft  eyes  and  in  all  her  motions.  How 
could  this  apparition  be  but  a  surprise  in  this  deep  wil- 
derness ?  I  said  to  myself  :  "  This  is  the  Lily  :  this  is 
the  nymph  of  the  lilies  ! "  I  thought  it  strange  that  this 
fair  creature  should  be  the  daughter  of  this  gnarled  sire. 
And  yet  have  I  not  written  him  down  as  a  column  of  mar- 
ble transported  out  of  place  ?  The  chips  that  fall  from  a 
column  of  marble  must  needs  be  marble. 

She  returned  to  the  kitchen  and  brought  out  plate  after 
plate  of  smoking  viands.  Then  came  her  sister,  bearing 
a  pot  of  coffee.  This  sister  was  the  opposite  of  the  Lily: 
she  was  all  that  is  beautiful  contrasted  sharply  with  all  that 
is  beautiful.  She  was  not  a  brunette  :  just  a  shade  less 
fair  than  her  blonde  sister,  but  her  hair  was  of  the  glossy 
blackness  of  the  raven's  wings,  falling  in  a  profusion  of 
ringlets.  Her  eyes  sparkled  with  a  brilliancy  of  black- 
ness. Her  features  were  of  the  Grecian  cast,  and  as  reg- 
ular as  if  they  had  been  chiselled  by  an  artist.  She  was 
much  taller  than  her  sister  ;  so  much  so  as  to  be  imposing, 
and  her  movements  were  all  grace.  How  could  this  but 
be  a  surprise  to  me  ?  Two  sisters  of  the  same  father  and 
mother,  and  yet  so  markedly  unlike,  except  in  the  beauty 
that  marked  them  both  :  the  beauty  of  each  being  the 
best  of  its  class  !  This  shows  the  various  fountains  from 
which  our  multitudinous  American  race  descended  :  the 
Lily  from  the  pure  font  of  Saxon,  and  her  sister  from  the 
pure  font  of  Norman,  and  each  the  purest  and  best  of  her 


220     TWO   THOUSAXD   MILES    IN   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK. 

line.  As  she  moved  before  me  so  majestically,  I  said  : 
''This  is  the  Queen!"  I  took  her  age  to  be  about 
nineteen. 

I  do  not  know  the  names  of  the  various  parts  of  the 
female  dress,  or  the  materials  of  which  they  are  composed, 
and  I  am  therefore  lost  when  1  come  to  one.  Suffice  it  to 
say  that  each  wore  a  neat  and  tasty  pattern  suited  to  the 
household,  and  a  bright  yellow  apron  in  front.  Each  wore 
a  single  plain  ring,  and  there  were  no  diamonds  pendent 
from  their  ears.  Perhaps  their  diamonds  are  in  their 
hearts  and  lips. 

For  a  moment  I  found  myself  debating  within  myself — 
which  of  these  two  sisters  would  I  take,  if  I  could  take 
either  ? — and  I  concluded  that  I  would  take  both,  or  either 
if  the  other  were  away.  The  frontiersman  brought  my  mind 
back  by  asking  me  to  be  seated  at  the  table,  and  the  Queen 
sat  in  front  of  me  to  wait  on  the  stranger.  The  Lily  sat 
in  a  corner,  as  if  musing  to  herself  and  saying  :  ''He  who 
would  take  me  must  come  for  me,  and  I  will  hide  when  he 
comes." 

I  made  apology  to  the  Queen  for  disturbing  her  at  so 
late  an  hour.  *'  Oh,  sir,  don't  mind  that.  We  are  always 
pleased  to  assist  travellers,  and  we  see  them  so  rarely. 
Sometimes  for  a  month  we  do  not  see  any  one  but  our  few 
neighbors."  Paterfamilias  amused  himself  by  reading  a 
newspaper,  and  the  Queen  and  I  chatted  gaily  as  I  partook 
of  the  boiintif ul  repast.  She  was  as  easy  and  ready  as  any 
lady  I  ever  met  in  the  parlors  of  the  great  cities,  and  more 
attractive  ;  for,  besides  her  remarkable  and  commanding 
beauty,  she  was  full  of  naivete,  and  originality  ;  the  fresh- 
ness of  nature,  the  bouquet  and  aroma  of  the  virgin  prai- 
ries and  woodland.  Like  a  bird,  she  "  warbled  her  native 
wood- notes  wild."  And  this  was  in  the  deep  wilderness 
beyond  the  confines.  Was  not  Eve,  when  she  dropped  from 
the  hands  of  God  in  that  wilderness  of  Eden,  queenly  and 


TWO   THOUSAN^D   MILES   TN^  TEXAS   ON^   HORSEBACK.      221 

of  winning  grace  ?  Were  her  thoughts  not  all  original  and 
beautiful  ?  But  how  if  she  evolved  from  a  polyp,  and 
found  herself  lying,  rough  and  hairy,  in  a  slimy  ooze  ? 

After  I  had  supped,  the  frontiersman  asked  me  to  join 
him  in  a  pipe,  and  the  Queen  and  Lily  disappeared  with 
the  cloth  and  dishes,  and  I  saw  them  no  more  that  night. 
When  we  had  burned  out  one  pipe  each,  the  father  said  : 
"  I  suppose  you  must  be  tired.    Let  me  show  you  your  room.'* 

I  had  seen  the  blossom — yea,  two  of  them,  and  had  felt 
the  fragrance. 

Peculiar.  — Eaves-dropping. 

.He  took  alight  and  led  me  to  the  door  of  the  next 
room.  It  was  the  same  from  which  the  Queen  and  Lily 
had  emerged,  to  get  supper  for  the  stranger.  I  entered, 
and  there  was  a  bed,  but  not  a  single  article  of  covering 
was  on  it !  Said  the  father  :  We  are  short  of  covering, 
and  as  the  night  is  cold,  you  had  better  let  me  get  your 
blankets  for  you."  He  brought  them  in  from  the  room 
where  I  had  placed  them  when  I  came  in,  and  bade  me 
good-night. 

I  took  in  the  position  at  once.  This  was  the  sleeping 
apartment  of  the  Queen  and  the  Lily,  which  they  had 
abandoned  to  make  room  for  the  stranger.  They  had 
given  me  their  bed,  but  had  taken  away  the  covering  to 
spread  a  nice  little  pallet  for  themselves  on  the  floor  by  the 
fire,  in  the  room  where  I  supped  !  I  knew  this  to  be  so, 
because  I  heard  them  gaily  chatting  while  they  were  mak- 
ing the  pallet  by  the  fire-place.  I  heard  every  word,  be- 
cause the  partition  was  thin,  and  there  were  chinks  through 
which  I  might  have  seen,  had  I  sought.  Paterfamilias 
went  out  of  the  house  and  returned  with  a  big  armful  of 
wood.  He  said  :  ''  Girls,  you  must  keep  a  good  fire  all 
night.  It  is  freezing,  and  I  do  not  want  my  babies  to 
catch  cold." 


222     TWO   THOUSAND    MILES   IX   TEXAS   ON    HOKSEBACK. 

*^ Never  mind  about  the  cold,  papa;  we  will  get  along 
all  right.  We  will  snug  up  by  the  lire  like  two  little  kit- 
tens.'^ I  knew  by  her  voice  that  it  was  the  Lily  that  said 
that., 

''  Say,  papa,  don't  you  want  a  kiss  to-night  ?"  That  was 
the  Queen. 

"  Oh,  I  reckon  I  can  do  without  kisses  till  morning,*' 
said  the  frontiersman.  "Besides,  if  you  give  me  a  kiss,  1 
reckon  you'll  both  be  coming  after  me  for  ten  dollars  in  the 
morning;  and  times,  you  know,  are  hard." 

The  Queen  and  Lily  laughed,  but  they  both  ran  to 
hinij,  and  I  heard  them  deliver  upon  the  powerful  frontiers- 
man's lips  two  hearty  kisses.  *' J^ow,"  said  they,  ''you 
may  tell  us  good-night ! " 

I  felt  heartily  ashamed  of  myself.  I  felt  that  they 
should  have  the  bed,  and  I  the  pallet  before  the  lire.  I 
was  on  the  point  of  rushing  out,  but  the  father  had  already 
retired,  and. that  restrained  me.  Did  ever  man  oust  two 
pretty  ladies  from  their  bed  before,  compelling  them  to 
sleep  on  the  floor  like  kittens,  while  he  occupied  their  bed  ? 
I  have  never  thought  of  this  since  without  blushing  with 
indignation  at  myself ;  and  yet  how  could  I  help  it  ? 

Where  the  Peris  Dwell. 

While  undressing,  I  observed  the  furniture  of  the 
room.  Here  again  was  simphcity  the  simplest  and  so 
outre  !  A  small  table  sat  in  the  centre,  and  a  few  chairs 
around  it ;  a  number  of  bucks'  horns  adorned  the  walls, 
and  from  these  depended  numerous  dresses  of  the  Peris, 
which  they  had  neglected  to  take  away  in  their  flight,  or 
else  had  left  intentionally— thinking  perhaps  that  if  I 
should  grow  cold  in  the  night,  the  dresses  might  be  of  ser- 
vice to  keep  me  warm.  The  bedstead  was  of  planks  nailed 
together,  and  at  the  head  of  it  was  a  double-barrel  shot- 
gun, capped  and  half-cocked.     Invade  those  premises  who 


TWO  THOUSAND   MILES  IK  TEXAS  05^  HORSEBACK.     223 

dare  !  But  the  bed  and  pillows  were  luxurious,  stuffed 
full,  as  I  suppose,  with  down  from  the  breast  of  the  swan. 
Such  is  the  place  where  Peris  dwell  ! 

There  were  many  books  on  the  table  :  among  them 
Ivanhoe,  Peveril  of  the  Peak,  Quentin  Durward,  several  of 
Bulwer's  and  Cooper's  novels,  Scott's  poems,  Milton,  Tup- 
per  and  others.  Will  not  the  reading  of  these  works, 
thought  I,  make  these  young  creatures  unhappy  in  this 
wilderness  ?  Will  it  not  make  them  pine  for  the  gay 
scenes  with  which  such  works  must  fill  their  imagina- 
tions ? 

I  soon  slept  profoundly  on  the  bed  of  the  Queen  and 
the  Lily.  I  only  hope  that  they  on  their  pallet  by  the  fire 
slept  as  well. 

Morning. 

Paterfamilias  awaked  me  by  tapping  on  the  door  and 
saying  breakfast  would  soon  be  ready.  On  lighting  the 
lamp,  I  saw  that  it  was  an  hour  to  sunrise.  This  struck 
me  as  peculiar,  as  Western  people  are  not  generally  given 
to  early  rising.  In  a  few  minutes  I  sat  at  breakfast  with 
the  family.  The  Queen  and  Lily  looked  as  fresh  as  water- 
nymphs  that  have  just  risen  from  the  laughing  brooks. 
They  had  evidently  suffered  not  much  from  sleeping  on 
the  pallet  by  the  fire.  Materfamilias  was  present, — a 
quiet  lady  of  forty  years,  more  like  the  Queen  than  the 
Lily.  The  same  dark  locks,  the  same  brilliant  eye,  though 
softened  by  time,  and  much  the  same  graceful  demeanor. 
But  the  Queen's  splendid  brow  showed  where  the  superi- 
ority lay.  Her  mother  had  given  her  what  was  best  in 
herself,  and  nature  in  improving  the  gifts  had  bestowed 
others. 

After  breakfast  the  frontiersman  left  the  house,  and 
as  I  had  no  inclination  to  move  at  so  early  an  hour,  I 
indulged  the  opportunity  to  chat  with  the  Queen  and  Lily. 


224    TWO   THOUSAND   MILES  IN"  TEXAS   ON   HOESEBACK. 

I  spoke  of  the  Centennial,  and  the  Queen  spoke  as  vividly 
about  it  as  any  Philadelphia  lady  in  sight  of  the  great  Art 
Hall.  She  said  she  had  a  great  desire  to  attend  it,  and 
was  endeavoring  to  persuade  her  father,  but  as  yet  he  had 
not  consented.  I  said  I  expected  to  visit  the  Centennial, 
and  nothing  would  please  me  so  much  as  to  have  a  young 
lady  accompany  me.  I  then  somewhat  impudently  asked 
if  she  would  not  be  that  one  ? 

"  Oh,"  said  she,  '^if  I  should  go  with  you,  you  might 
run  away  and  leave  me  alone  in  Philadelphia,  and  what 
would  become  of  me,  a  frontier  girl,  turned  adrift  in  that 
great  city  ?  "  This  with  a  laugh,  indicating  that  she  thought 
she  might  still  be  able  to  paddle  her  own  canoe,  even  under 
circumstances  so  strange.  She  added  that  it  would  be  fool- 
ish to  suppose  that  a  city  gentleman  would  be  pleased  with 
a  wild  frontier  girl  like  herself.  '^  I  guess  in  company  you 
would  try  to  keep  me  veiled,  and  my  tongue  tied." 

Miranda. 

I  told  her — tempting  her — that  the  most  beautiful  and 
interesting  tome  of  all  the  creations  of  Shakespeare's  fancy, 
was  the  young  Miranda:,  raised  by  her  father  on  a  solitary 
isle,  where  she  saw  no  other  human  being  until  accident 
threw  in  her  way  : 

''  Ca—Ca— Caliban, 
Get  a  new  master,  gel  a  new  man  ! " 

She  was,  I  said,  as  lovely  as  Eve  when  Adam  first  saw 
her  in  the  garden  of  Eden  ;  and  neither  Miranda  nor  Eve 
were  less  lovely  from  not  having  been  trained  in  what  they 
call  fashionable  society ;  in  other  words,  from  having  been 
girls  of  the  frontier,  as  they  certainly  were.  On  the  con- 
trary, their  loveliness  was  the  more  perfect,  coming  fresh 
from  the  hands  of  God  and  nature.  After  a  while  a  Prince 
was  wrecked  on  this  solitary  isle,  and  seeing  Miranda,  he 
instantly  fell  deeply  in  love  with  her.     I  would  have  done 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.     225 

the  same,  if  I  had  been  the  Prince.  I  see  no  difference 
between  San  Saba  and  Miranda's  isle,  and  perhaps  there  is 
not  much  difference  between  the  Prince  and  me.  He  took 
her  to  his  gay  capital,  and  he  did  not  abandon  her.  He 
made  her  his  Princess,  and  she  became  renowned.  What 
pity  if  he  had  left  her  on  her  isle  in  the  sea  !  " 

''  That  is  a  very  pretty  story,"  said  the  Queen  ;  ^^  but  if 
I  had  been  Miranda,  I  would  much  rather  have  gone  away 
with  the  man  whose  genius  invented  it,  than  with  the  Prince 
himself." 

Airy  Beings. 

And  she  neatly  turned  the  point  by  immediately 
adding : 

^'  AVhat  a  wonderful  man  Shakespeare  was  !  Do  you  not 
think  that  he  knew  everything  ?  And  yet  they  say  he  was 
an  ignorant  man,  too, — at  least  as  to  scholarship," 

I  said  Shakespeare's  mind  was  omnivorous  ;  he  devoured 
every  book  he  could  lay  his  hands  on,  but  those  were  few. 
Besides,  he  found  '^  books  in  the  running  brooks,  sermons 
in  stones,"  The  truth  is,  he  probably  had  more  learning 
than  any  man  of  his  age. 

^'  But  that  would  not  account,"  said  she,  ^^for  all  his 
wonderful  wisdom.  Secrets  of  nature  were  familiar  to  his 
mind  when  they  were  undreamed  of  by  others.  The  stores 
of  knowledge  were  opened  to  him  through  mysterious  ways. 
He  knew  more  than  Milton  with  all  his  learning,  who  came 
long  after  him.  I  sometimes  think  that  those  airy  beings 
whom  the  poets  often  speak  of — the  Muses,  the  Nymphs 
and  the  Naiads — were  not  all  imaginary,  but  true,  immor- 
tal, celestial  beings,  with  whom  they  held  secret  conversa- 
tion, receiving  light  and  knowledge  from  their  lips.  Else, 
how  could  they  have  created  such  beautiful  things,  and 
known  all  knowledge  before  others  ?  " 

I  did  not  speak  ;  I  listened,  and  she  continued  : 
10* 


226    TWO   THOUSAK"D   3IILES   IK   TEXAS   0:S   IIOKSEBACK. 

''  Was  not  Undine  a  real  existence  who  told  of  herself 
to  the  poet,  wlio  merely  repeated  the  story  that  the  spirit 
told  him  ?  I  believe  these  celestial  spirits  -talked  with 
Milton  night  and  day,  and  that  through  them  Paradise 
Lost  is  a  divine  inspiration  like  the  Bible.  May  it  not  be 
an  unguarded  reference  to  these  strange  visitors  when  he 
said  : 

*  Mj^riads  of  spirits  unseen  walk  the  earth, 
Both  while  we  sleep  and  while  we  wake  ?  ♦ 

"And  when  Shakespeare  speaks  of  the  ^airy  tongues 
that  syllable  men's  names/  may  he  not  have  had  in  his 
mind  the  spiritual  guardians  of  his  genius,  who  syllabled 
his  own  name  ?  And  then  there  is  Homer,  who  lived  in 
the  profound  ages  of  darkness  when  books  were  unknown; 
yet  with  nothing  to  guide  him,  as  they  say,  but  his  own 
genius,  he  produced  a  work  that  has  been  a  model  to  all 
iaf  ter-times,  unsurpassed  and  unequalled,  except  by  Milton, 
who  is  greatest  where  he  shows  that  he  studied  and  loved 
Homer.  Do  you  not  think  that  Homer  wandered  in  the 
groves  of  Parnassus  conversing  with  those  celestial  beings 
who  love  the  gifted  great  ?  or  that  they  descended  from 
Olympus  and  whispered  into  his  ear  his  grand  creations 
while  he. slept  ?'' 

I  spake  not*  The  Queen,  warming,  continued  :  "And 
so  Milton,  when  he  speaks  of  his  blindness,  says  : 

'  Yet  not  the  more 
Cease  I  to  wander  where  the  Muses  haunt 
Clear  spring,  or  shady  grove  or  sunny  hill : 
Then  feed  on  thoughts  that  voluntary  move 
Harmonious  numbers  ;  as  the  wakeful  bird 
Sings  darkling,  and  in  shadiest  covert  hid, 
Tunes  her  nocturnal  note.' 

"  Is  not  this  a  confession  of  his  strange,  celestial  vis- 
itors ?  And  thus,  he  who  dwelt  in  Fairy  Land  and  wrote 
the  Faery  Queen : 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   11^  TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.      22? 

*  How  oft  do  they  their  silver  bowers  leave, 
To  come  to  succor  us  that  succor  want  1 
How  oft  do  they  with  golden  pinions  cleave 
The.  flitting  skies,  like  flying  pursuivant, 
And  their  bright  squadrons  round  about  us  flaunt ! ' 

Is  not  this  a  confession  of  these  celestial  visitors  ?  " 
'^  It  may  be,"  said  I,  "  for  the  gift  of  fancy  is  a  fearful 
gift.     So  at  least  said  one  of  the  greatest  of  those  thus 
gifted ;  and  perhaps  he  had  in  his  mind,  as  you  say,  the 
celestial  visitors  who  fed  the  flame  of  his  genius." 

"  I  do  not  doubt  that  it  is  so,"  said  the  Queen.  And 
while  she  spake,  her  brilliant  eyes  sparkled,  and  it  seemed 
that  she  might  be  one  of  those  celestial  visitors  herself.' 
Thus  Byron : 

*'  Such  inhabit  many  a  spot- 
Though  with  them  to  converse  can  rarely  be  our  lot." 

It  was  my  first  time.  Is  she  not  a  true  naiad — a  wood- 
nymph  ? 

After  this  I  did  not  think  it  worth  while  to  ask  the 
Queen  whether  the  rocks  about  her  were  Silurian,  Devo- 
nian or  Carboniferous.  She  had  sounded  the  depth 
of  the  Pierian  spring ;  and  why  should  a  nymph  and 
naiad  not  ? 

The  Wilderness  and  Society. 

I  said  tantalizingly  that  I  could  not  see  how  people 
could  be  content  to  live  so  remote  from  the  busy  world 
and  society — particularly  the  educated  and  refined.  This 
brought  out  materfamilias,  who  previously  had  had  very 
little  to  say. 

"  As  for  myself,  I  care  for  no  other  society  than  my 
home,  my  husband  and  children.  This  is  world  and 
society  enough  for  me,  of  which  I  can  never  become  tired. 
I  feel  now  that  the  settlements  are  growing  too  near,  and  I 
would  like  to  go  further  out." 


228     TWO   THOUSAND    MILES   IK   TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK. 

The  Queen  and  the  Lily  said  they  were  happy  in  their 
home,  and  were  by  no  means  ambitious  to  leave  it.  "  As 
for  intelligence,  if  we  have  any/'  said  the  Queen,  '^  it  is  the 
possession  of  it  that  makes  these  apparent  solitudes  the 
more  agreeable.  If  I  did  not  have  some  intelligence,  I 
would  go  to  the  cities,  where  frivolity  might  make  igno- 
rance endurable." 

I  now  questioned  not  that  I  had  fallen  into  a  home  of 
nymphs  and  naiads,  and  that  the  frontiersman  was  a  Gnome 
or  one  of  the  Genii. 

Ships  that  meet  at  Sea. 

It  was  eight  o'clock  before  I  thought  of  my  onward 
journey.  As  I  walked  out  to  saddle  my  horse,  I  hoped 
that  he  had  fallen  ill  during  the  night,  that  I  might  have 
excuse  for  delay.  But  he  unfortunately  was  well  and 
hearty.  Had  he  been  sick  who  can  say  what  history  might 
not  have  been  made  ?  It  was  a  sly  thought,  emanating 
perhaps  from  one's  love  of  self — but  I  thought  there  might 
be  some  regret  in  that  home  at  my  departure.  I  know 
there  was  in  my  own  breast.  Two  ships  often  meet  at  sea, 
and  after  exchanging  courtesies  an  hour  or  so,  they  spread 
their  sails  and  separate.  They  watch  one  another  sinking 
beneath  the  horizon  with  regret. 

My  horse  being  equipped,  1  returned  to  the  house.  I 
took  the  Queen  and  Lily  by  the  hands  and  bade  them  adieu, 
and  I  did  not  see  a  tear  in  their  eyes  !  But  I  consoled  my- 
self for  this  apparent  indifference  with  the  reflection  that 
nymphs  and  naiads  do  not  weep,  and  ^'  great  griefs  are 
dumb."  Paterfamilias  came  to  bid  me  adieu,  and  said, 
"1  will  always  be  pleased  to  see  you  when  you  pass."  I 
felt  my  heart  grow  sick  as  I  rose  on  my  horse  and  left. 

Suppose  one  of  these  noble  girls  should  marry  a  rusty- 
legged  cow-driver,  who  never  had  a  thouglit  liigher  than 
his  quirt,  or  a  chew  of  tobacco  j^     What  a  death  in  life 


TWO  THOUSAND   MILES   IN  TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.     229 

would  be  hers  !  And  yet  such  women  might  be  able,  pos- 
sibly, to  manufacture  "  a  thing  of  beauty  "  even  out  of  a 
cow- driver. 

A  Conversation  on  the  Koad. 

After  leaving  the  home  of  the  Queen  and  Lily  about  a 
mile,  a  young  horseman  rode  beside  me.  He  was  mounted 
on  a  prancing  pony,  and  dressed  in  a  gay  buckskin  suit, 
very  prettily  trimmed.  A  fine  looking,  vigorous  young 
fellow  was  he  ;  a  rifle  on  the  pommel  of  his  saddle  and  a 
six-shooter  buckled  to  his  waist.  After  some  general  con- 
versation I  asked  him  if  he  knew  the  gentleman  at  whose 
house  I  had  passed  the  night,  giving  his  name  ? 

''  Certainly  I  do,"  said  he  ;  '^  I  have  known  him  always, 
and  a  first  class  man  is  he." 

"He  is  very  poor,"  said  I  quietly,  "is  he  not  ?" 

"  Poor  ?  good  God  !  "  said  the  young  horseman.  "  That 
man's  got  more  money  than  both  your  horse  and  mine  to- 
gether can  pack.  Suppose  you  had  two  or  three  thou- 
sand beeves  to  sell  every  year,  at  fifteen  to  twenty  dollars 
a  head,  wouldn't  you  have  pretty  much  of  money  ?  " 

"  I  should  think  I  would." 

"  Well,  sir,"  said  he,  "that  is  that  man's  case  exactly. 
I  tell  you  he  has  oceans  of  it." 

"And  he  is  rich  also  in  two  pretty  daughters,  is  he 
not  ?  " 

The  young  horseman  turned,  and  looking  steadfastly 
upon  me  a  moment,  said  : 

"  You  bet  ! " 

He  then  left,  in  another  direction,  saying  :  "  Take  care 
of  yourself,  and  look  out  for  the  red- skins."  And  I  con- 
tinued my  solitary  ride  into  the  Far  West. 


V. 


EiVER  San  Saba. — Irrigatio]^". 

rpiHE  San  Saba  carries  a  bulkier  volume  than  the  Llano, 
JL  but  it  has  not  its  ethereal  limpidity.  Its  blue  waters 
are  stained  with  an  impalpable  white  sediment,  as  if  they 
had  a  small  ingredient  of  milk  ;  which  caused  me  to  sus- 
pect that  they  bear  white  sulphur  or  gypsum  in  solution, 
though  this  is  not  observable  to  the  taste.  Its  valley  is  a 
noble  one,  smooth  as  a  floor,  of  the  blackest,  richest  soil, 
ofteu  spreading  out  many  miles  in  width.  It  is  famous 
for  its  wheat — thirty  to  forty-five  bushels  to  the  acre, — and 
its  splendid  white-skin  onions,  which  may  be  eaten  almost 
like  apples  ;  its  wealth  of  grapes,  and  its  abundant  pecans, 
which  here  seem  to  have  found  their  choicest  abode.  A 
dam  across  the  river  here  and  there,  with  lateral  and  longi- 
tudinal ditches,  would  irrigate  all  the  valley.  For  forty- 
miles  above  its  mouth  it  is  tolerably  settled  ;  thence  on- 
w\ard,  very  sparsely,  and  often  for  great  distances,  not  at 
all.  With  this  valley  supplied  with  dams  and  ditches  and 
railroads,  it  would  be  one  of  the  most  charming  and  desir- 
able spots  of  earth,  and  soon  one  of  the  richest.  The 
populations  of  these  Western  valleys  are  yet  too  sparse  to 
enable  them  to  effect  a  general  system  of  irrigation,  and. 
State  aid  would  well  come  in.  The  small  outlay  would  be 
rapidly  repaid  in  the  great  increase  of  wealth  and  the  num- 
ber of  her  tax-paying  citizens.  The  San  Saba  now  has  a 
few  thousand  acres  irrigated,  and  the  product  of  such  fields 
is  immense.     It  is  almost  beyond  human  credulity  to  be- 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IK   TEXAS   OK   HOKSEBACK.     231 

lieve  what  the  crops  will  yield  on  this  noble  soil,  when  well 
tilled  and  never  allowed  to  suffer  from  needed  moisture.  I 
saw  one  of  these  irrigation  ditches,  twelve  feet  in  width  and 
eight  in  depth,  which  the  enterprising  farmers  were  ex- 
cavating by  their  own  joint  labor,  at  such  times  as  they 
could  spare  from  other  duties.  They  intend  to  make  it 
eight  miles  in  length,  so  that  it  will  irrigate  some  eight  or 
ten  thousand  acres.  This  is  secured  by  simply  tapping 
the  river  at  a  point  where  it  is  above  the  land  to  be  irri- 
gated, and  diverting  a  small  portion  of  its  water  out  of  the 
channel.  When  it  is  desired  to  inundate  the  land,  the 
ditch  is  dammed  and  the  water  spreads  over  the  surface, 
increasing  the  fertility  by  depositing  the  gypseous  or  sul- 
phurous sediment  of  the  river. 

Mekardville. — The  Ultima  Thuliaks. 

Rode  into  Menardville  and  delayed  two  hours.  This  is 
the  jumping-off  place — the  watch-tower  on  the  borders  of 
civilization.  Passing  out  of  the  limits  of  the  little  burg 
and  facing  West,  a  dangerous  and  almost  trackless  wil- 
derness rolls  away  before  you  some  hundreds  of  miles.  To 
this  point  has  the  great,  aggressive  American  tide  ad- 
vanced, and  not  an  inch  further,  and  its  representatives 
here  are  merely  the  skirmishers  that  foretell  the  coming  of 
the  main  body.  Its  population  is  about  two  hundred,  and 
its  appearance  is  as  peculiar  as  its  position.  No  grand 
boulevards,  paved  with  marble  and  asphaltum,  here.  It  is 
built  in  a  thicket  of  brush,  and  so  securely  hidden  that  the 
traveller  does  not  see  it  until  he  has  entered  it.  No  mar- 
ble palaces  and  long  rows  of  brick  here.  Indeed,  a  traveller 
might  ride  through  it  at  night  and  never  suspect  the  pres- 
ence of  a  city,  except  from  the  occasional  gleaming  of  a 
light  through  the  brush  and  the  barking  of  dogs.  I  doubt 
not  that  panthers,  wolves  and  bears  prowl  nightly  through 
it,  and   slake  their  thirst   at  the  brook  on  whose  banks 


232     TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IIS"   TEXAS    O^   HORSEBACK. 

laughing  children  romped  but  an  hour  before.  It  is  said 
tliat  these  beasts  prowled  nightly  through  the  first  cities 
built  by  rnan,  and  wherein  dilfers  this  from  a  city  built  by 
primitive  man  ? 

The  houses  are  peculiar.  They  are  boxes  built  of 
rough  and  warped  oaken  boards,  innocent  of  paint  or 
whitewash.  Often  the  boards  have  shrunken  so  much  in 
drying  that  wide  gaps  are  left  between  them,  through  which 
the  winds  of  heaven  have  full  play.  In  case  of  a  slanting 
rain,  the  occupants  have  no  other  recourse  but  to  huddle 
together  on  the  side  whence  the  rain  comes,  and  wait  till 
the  elements  have  spent  their  fury.  The  flood  falling  to 
the  floor  would  speedily  be  devoured  by  the  cracks.  In 
case  of  a  fierce  Texas  Norther,  the  position  must  be  nearly 
intolerable  ;  for  though  that  portion  of  the  body  next  to 
the  fire  might  be  kept  comfortably  warm,  the  opposite 
exposure  must  suffer  greatly  from  the  eager,  nipping  wind. 
Sudden  and  tremendous  outbursts  of  rain  are  common  in 
this  country.  Imagine  one  of  these  falling  in  the  dead 
of  night  during  the  paroxysm  of  a  norther,  when  the  fire 
has  gone  out  and  no  split  wood  in  the  house,  driving  the 
people  from  their  beds  and  huddling  them,  half  naked 
and  shivering,  in  the  corner  for  hours  at  a  time  !  It  is 
said  that  our  poor  primitive  ancestors  sometimes  suffered 
greatly  from  the  elements,  and  I  can  now  have  no  doubt 
of  it.  Many  a  time  were  men,  women  and  babies  expelled 
by  the  storms  from  their  comfortable  beds  of  skins,  to  take 
refuge  in  the  opposite  corners.  It  is  quite  enough  to  make 
one's  heart  sick  to  think  of  the  inconveniences  which  our 
poor  ancestors  were  put  to,  from  not  being  so  smart  as 
their  children  are. 

There  are  two  or  three  little  stores  here,  mere  shells, 
which  the  most  unhandy  cracksman  could  exploit  in  three 
minutes  ;  and  the  fact  that  these  stores  are  never  exploited, 
is  ample  proof  of  the  honesty  of  these  primitive  people. 


TWO   THOUSAKD   MILES   IK  TEXAS   ON"   HORSEBACK.     233 

and  of  our  ancestors  whom  they  resemble.  A  dishonest 
rogue  is  a  thing  unknown  in  this  region,  unless  perchance 
there  may  be  some  skulking  villain  hiding  from  pursuit  of 
law  ;  and  here  it  behooves  him  to  keep  himself  exceedingly 
well  behaved ;  otherwise  these  primitive  people  would 
speedily  mete  out  to  him  the  primitive  justice  of  our  ances- 
tors, without  the  slow  help  of  judge  and  jury. 

The  men  who  dwell  in  this  city  are  also  peculiar  :  a 
stalwart,  sinewy  race,  bronzed,  and  bearded  like  a  dozen 
pards,  all  armed  to  the  teeth  ;  but  they  wear  their  arms 
just  as  otlier  people  wear  coats  and  vests — mainly  because 
it  is  fasliionable  and  a  matter  of  course.  A  more  amiably 
inclined  people  I  never  saw  ;  and  they  seem  to  vie  in  hos- 
pitality to  the  stranger,  not  obtrusively,  but  with  a  native, 
inborn,  quiet  hospitality,  which  gives  him  at  once  to  un- 
derstand that  they  mean  what  they  say.  They  are  nearly 
all  young  or  middle-aged  men.  To  subdue  the  wilderness 
and  stand  guard  over  the  watchtowers  of  civilization  does 
not  belong  to  the  old,  to  whom  ^^the  grasshopper  is  a 
burden  ;"  and  yet  I  see  a  few  strong  old  men  here  whose 
heads  are  as  white  as  if  a  hundred  winters  had  sprinkled 
their  snows  upon  them — old  men  youthful  in  everything 
except  years.  They  are  a  sharp,  quick  and  intelligent 
people,  and  there  are  some  who  are  evidently  of  superior 
education.  These  were  doubtless  stray  young  gentlemen, 
whom  a  restless  spirit  of  adventure  decoyed  from  their 
homes  in  the  old  States,  finally  stranding  them  on  the 
shore  of  this  Ultima  Thule.  They  are  appreciated  here; 
for  as  I  have  often  observed,  these  rough  frontiersmen  do 
dearly  love  to  see  educated  and  sensible  young  men  set- 
tling among  them.  They  perhaps  regard  them  as  the  lit- 
tle lump  of  leaven  that  is  to  leaven  the  whole  loaf,  and 
rarely  fail  to  help  and  promote  them  when  the  opportunity 
offers.  Of  such  is  the  gentleman  who  keeps  the  records 
of  the  Court  of   Menard,   with  whom  I  chatted  a  good 


234     TWO   THOUSAKD   MILES   IN    TEXAS   ON    HORSEBACK. 

deal.  I  dare  say  when  a  boy  he  rubbed  his  back  againsfc 
the  walls  of  some  university  ;  and  here  he  is,  on  this  remote 
confine,  shedding  a  light  around  him,  esteemed  by  all,  and 
destined  to  grow  upward  as  the  country  grows.  I  found 
him  in  the  court-house,  a  rough  box  twelve  by  fifteen, 
where  he  sits  lord  and  master. 

Let  no  pin-feather  youth,  however,  think  that  he  may 
come  among  these  frontiersmen  and  be  made  ti  lion  of  at 
once.  A  pretentious,  foppish  young  fellow  would  be 
grievously  discounted  by  them,  in  spite  of  all  his  book- 
learning  and  elegance  of  manner.  He  must  have  good 
store  of  common  sense,  and  understand  how  to  adapt  him- 
self to  the  situation.  He  must  eschew  all  airs  of  assumed 
superiority,  for  these  frontiersmen  are  nearly  all  men  of 
as  much  sharpness  of  mother- wit  as  boldness  of  heart. 
Most  of  them  have  seen  a  good  deal  of  the  world,  and 
they  speedily  detect  the  spurious.  He  must  show  a  heart 
for  honest,  manly  work,  be  companionable,  bear  himself 
toward  all  respectfully  and  courteously,  and  I  will  warrant 
that  he  will  soon  find  that  he  has  a  noble  army  of  friends 
around  him, who  will  always  be  glad  to  advance  him,  and 
will  feel  proud  of  him  as  one  of  themselves.  The  mothers 
and  daughters  will  esteem  him  as  much  as  the  fathers  and 
brothers,  and  perhaps  take  a  livelier  interest  in  him ;  for 
the  female  heart,  always  and  everywhere,  aspires  to  a 
higher  condition,  and  it  is  by  no  means  difficult  for  a  sen- 
sible young  man  in  a  position  like  this  to  warm  their  fancy 
with  the  idea  that  he  is  to  be  one  of  the  props  of  the  better 
order  of  things.  When  he  comes  to  the  frontier  let  him 
bear  my  suggestions  in  mind,  and  I  do  not  doubt  that,  as 
he  prospers  and  grows  happy,  he  will  always  bear  me  in 
grateful  remembrance.* 

*  The  writer  of  this  note  has  often  thought  of  his  first  appearance  among  a 
frontier  people,  with  considerable  amusement  to  himself.  When  a  boy.  almost 
beardless,  just  from  the  schools,  he  appeared  on  horseback  in  San  Saba,  wearing 
a  nice  silk  hat,  carrying  a  silver-headed  cane,  and  dressed  a&  young  gentlemen 


TWO   THOUSAN^D   MILES   IN  TEXAS   OX   HORSEBACK.     235 

These  men  are  nearly  all  engaged  in  stock-raising,  and 
SO  were  our  primitive  ancestors.  They  have  built  this  lit- 
tle city  for  mutual  protection  and  society.  They  are  all 
Americans,  as  far  as  I  noted. 

The  Female  Ultima  Thulians. 

I  regret  that  I  had  no  opportunity  to  exchange  courte- 
sies with  a*  single  one  of  them.  I  saw  them,  but  as  the 
humming-bird  or  butterfly  sees  the  laden  flowers  in  a  glass 
house  whose  doors  are  closed.  I  saw  a  number  on  the 
banks  of  the  pretty  Menard  brook,  engaged  in  washing 
their  garments  in  tubs,  while  a  troop  of  little  ones  romped 
on  the  grass  at  their  feet.  I  was  near  enough  to  obserA^o 
their  healthful  and  powerful  development ;  the  solidity  of 
the  plastic  moulding  that  covered  their  frame  ;  for  they 
were  kirtled  to  the  knees,  and  tlieir  arms  were  bare  to  the 
shoulder,  and  their  shoulders  were  bare.  As  I  contem- 
plated them  I  could  not  help  but  think  that  no  dandyish 
boys  would  be  fit  mates  for  these  primitive  ladies,  but  that 
they  behoove  to  be  men  who  would  be  the  masters  of  their 

generally  dress  in  the  best  communities  of  the  older  States.  The  old  frontiers- 
men looked  upon  me  with  almost  intolerable  scorn,  and  there  was  some  serious 
talk  of  hanging  me  as  a  suspected  horse-thief,  for  no  other  reason  in  the  world 
than  that  I  was  a  well-dressed,  well-educated,  and  decidedly  well-behaved, 
though  rather  reserved  young  fellow  !  One  old  fellow,  rough  and  hairy,  and,  to 
my  eye,  quite  a  monster  in  appearance,  with  hardly  enough  clothes  on  to  hide 
his  exceedingly  ugly  nakedness,  actually  talked  of  this  within  my  hearing.  The 
look  of  scorn  that  he  cast  upon  me  was  sublime.  I  was  quick  to  perceive  the 
drift  of  things  ;  and  as  Indians  were  then  stealing  and  scalping  at  a  great  rate,  I 
threw  off  my  nice  clothes  and  silver-headed  cane,  put  on  a  rough  suit,  and  went 
Indian  hunting  with  the  frontiersmen  some  six  months,  sleeping  with  them  in 
their  houses,  in  the  woods,  and  on  the  prairies.  They  soon  seemed  to  almost 
love  me,  and  I  never  have  been  in  a  country  where  I  had  such  warm  friends  ; 
though  they  never  ceased  to  joke  me  about  my  ''  three-story  silk  hat  "  and  sil- 
ver-headed cane.  I  even  stopped  several  nights  under  the  hospitable  roof  of  the 
rough  old  fellow  who  talked  in  my  presence  of  hanging  me,  and  felt  a  malicious 
sort  of  pleasure  in  kissing  his  plump  daughters  every  chance  I  could  steal.  Had 
I  not  thrown  aside  my  silk  hat  and  fine  cane,  it  is  not  at  all  impossible  I  might 
have  been  hung.  Since  that  time  San  Saba  has  advanced  mightily,  and  I  dare 
say  there  are  many  very  nicely  dressed  young  fellows  among  them  ;  but  her  peo 
pie's  hearts  are  no  warmer  now  than  they  were  then. 


236    TWO  THOUSAND   MILES   IN  TEXAS   ON   HOESEBACK. 

hearts.  What  cares  a  woman  for  a  man  upon  whom  she 
must  look  downward  ?  That  lady's  heart  is  always  sick, 
and  it  may  be,  sometimes  untrue,  who  feels  her  lord  to  be 
her  inferior ;  for  it  is  a  reversal  of  the  order  of  nature, 
which  teaches  her  to  look  upward  instead  of  downward. 
To  her,  life  is  a  desolation  unless  she  has  ambitions  of  her 
own  to  cultivate,  or  children  in  whom  she  may  forget  her 
husband.  If  my  brows  may  not  be  crowned  by  female 
hands  with  laurel,  I  will  endeavor  to  secure  at  least  indif- 
ference by  keeping  away  from  them.  I  would  not  believe 
in  the  tale  of  Venus  and  Adonis  if  the  popular  idea  of 
Adonis  were  the  correct  one.  It  is  supposed  by  the  un- 
thoughtful  that  this  unaccountable  youth  was  only  re- 
markable for  his  feminine  beauty  ;  but  he  was  a  wild-boar 
hunter  and  a  prodigious  horseman.  He  was  a  noble  speci- 
men of  the  physical  development  of  manhood,  accompanied 
by  daring  and  heroic  courage.  Had  he  been  a,  little  effemi- 
nate beauty,  bepowdered  and  bescented,  as  the  popular 
idea  usually  represents  him,  I  dare  say  the  imposing  Queen 
of  Beauty  would  have  scorned  him,  instead  of  surrendering 
without  summons  to  his  discretion. 

And  is  such  female  development,  as  I  see  it  in  this 
group  before  me — vigorous,  muscular,  conveying  the  im- 
pression of  force — averse  to  the  sentiment  of  love  ?  or  does 
the  love  of  men  prefer  the  delicate,  the  fragile,  the  weak  ? 
I  think  not  so.  Venus  was  but  a  female  Antinous,  a  very 
giantess  of  beauty.  She  overthrew  the  hearts  of  men  and 
gods  alike  :  Mars,  Vulcan,  and  Hercules,  were  willing 
slaves  at  her  feet  :  Helen,  who  caused  the  most  renowned 
war  in  history,  was  a  big,  muscular  woman  ;  such  were 
Cleopatra,  Zenobia,  and  in  fact  all  of  them  who  have  most 
stirred  up  mankind  with  the  love  of  them.  We  may  make 
pets  of  and  amuse  ourselves  with  the  little  beauties,  but  it 
is  the  big  ones  that  tyrannize  our  hearts  and  drive  us  to 
war  and  desperation  :  not  the  fat,  or  the  squabby,  by  any 


TWO   THOUSA>q^D   MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.     23? 

means.     Was  there  ever  a  little  woman  who  produced  a 
bigger  commotion  than  a  tempest  in  a  tea-pot  ? 

As  I  rode  past  the  group,  one  of  the  ladies,  though 
laughing,  seemed  a  little  disturbed,  as  if  she  would  shrink 
from  my  observation.  Her  wish  to  avoid  observation  at- 
tracted it  the  more.  I  thought  I  beheld  a  history  in  her. 
When  I  was  a  boy,  I  was  much  in  the  habit  of  passing  a 
magnificent  grove,  in  which  was  a  large  seminary  of  learn- 
ing for  girls.  It  was  a  place  considered  aristocratic,  and 
fathers  and  mothers  who  would  be  aristocrats,  generally 
sent  their  daughters  thither,  though  it  pinched  many  of 
them  severely  to  do  so.  I  dare  say  the  lady  at  the  wash-tub 
who  shrank  from  my  observation,  was  schooled  at  that  place, 
as  a  '•  high-born  lad  ye."  Truly,  life  is  filled  with  pictures  : 
then  a  romping  school-girl,  living  in  palaces  in  the  air, 
breathing  atar  of  roses  ;  now  a  stately  mother  at  the  wash- 
tub,  with  a  squadron  of  laughing  babies  tumbling  at  her 
feet.  Thus  life  goes  on,  and  we  fulfill  the  purposes  for 
which  we  were  created.  But  why  should  she  shrink  from 
my  observation  ?  Did  she  think  that  I  would  esteem  her 
less,  seeing  her  performing  her  duty  at  the  wash-tub  ?  I 
esteemed  her  the  more,  and  it  is  possible  a  thought  of  envy 
of  her  husband  may  have  passed  over  me.  That  young 
woman  may  be  the  mother  of  great  men,  and  I  dare  say 
she  will.  If  we  will  trace  the  lives  of  all  great  men,  we 
shall  find  none  whose  mothers  ever  hesitated  to  stand  at 
the  wash-tub,  if  it  befell  them  in  their  line  of  duty  to  do 
so.  None  but  strong-minded  women  can  be  the  mothers 
of  strong-minded  men.  Kitten  women  are  the  mothers  of 
kitten  men. 


Coglan's  Cave  akd  What  Befell. 

LEAVING  the  ladies  at  the  wash-tub,  and  observing 
my  arms  to  see  if  all  was  right,  I  rode  beyond  the 
confines  into  the  great  wilderness,  passing  six  miles  through 
a  fertile  but  brushy  region,  to  Coglan's  Cave,  where  a 
beautiful  stream  issues  out  of  a  large  rock  ;  the  aperture 
leading  into  the  recess  six  feet  high  and  wide  enough  for 
two  men  to  pass  in  abreast.  It  being  noon,  I  stopped.  I 
did  not  attempt  to  enter  the  dark  cave,  but  it  is  probably 
a  large  one. 

While  wandering  about  this  pretty  place,  I  stepped  sud- 
denly within  a  few  feet  of  a  beautiful  animal.  I  said  : 
^'  this  is  a  porcupine,  with  all  his  quills  set  ! "  A  portion 
of  his  body,  including  his  head,  was  jet,  glossy  black,  while 
the  rest  of  it  was  as  white  as  snowy  satin,  except  the  large 
bushy  tail,  which  he  carried  erect  over  his  body,  spread  out 
like  a  fan  :  that  was  composed  of  a  succession  of  black  and 
white  rings.  He  seemed  very  little  alarmed  at  my  pres- 
ence, but  moved  off  slowly  in  an  exceedingly  graceful  man- 
ner, as  if  conscious  of  his  superb  beauty  and  wishing  to 
show  it  to  the  stranger.  No  belle  in  a  ball-room  ever 
moved  with  more  graceful  motion,  or  was  more  beautifully 
decked  out.  I  pursued  admiring.  As  I  gained  upon  this 
beautiful  and  graceful  creature,  it  stopped  and  turned 
broadside  toward  me,  looking  upon  me  with  a  singular 
look  of  not  being  much  afraid,  and  not  particularly  de- 
siring my  company.  I  then  saw  that  there  was  a  bright 
white  band  across  its  forehead,  just  above  the  eyes,  look- 


TWO   THOUSAKD   MILES   lif   TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK.     239 

ing  like  a  wreath  or  garland.  I  had  approached  within 
fifteen  or  twenty  feet  of  this  rare  beauty,  when  it  suddenly 
made  a  quick  motion  or  sweep  with  its  magnificent  tail, 
and  instantly  my  nose  was  assaulted  with  a  most  formida- 
ble odor,  of  a  suffocating  character,  and  pungent  in  the 
nostrils  like  a  mixture  of  cayenne  pepper  and  ammonia.  I 
staggered  back  under  the  volley,  overwhelmed.  I  also  felt 
at  once  a  strong  disposition  at  the  pit  of  the  stomach,  as 
if  I  would  retch.  It  was  a  skunk  I  had  fallen  in  love 
with  and  pursued,  and  the  knowledge  of  it  broke  upon  me 
with  disgust.  Knowing  the  dreadful  character  of  the 
beast,  and  dreading  another  volley,  I  retreated  precipi- 
tately, insomuch  that  I  stumbled  over  some  vines  and  fell 
into  a  nest  of  brambles.  On  rising,  I  saw  the  foul  beauty 
retiring  with  an  apparent  air  of  triumph,  and  as  gracefully 
as  ever.  Fortunately,  none  of  the  fluid  which  creates  this 
odor,  struck  me  :  had  it  done  so,  my  position  would  have 
been  disastrous  in  the  extreme.  As  it  was,  the  air  was 
so  saturated  with  it  that  my  clothes  were  considerably  in- 
fected, so  that  I  carried  a  distinct  odor  of  it  about  my  per- 
son several  days. 

I  had  often  seen  the  skunk  before,  but  never  one  so 
beautiful  and  large  as  this,  though  1  saw  many  of  the  same 
sort  afterward.  There  are  many  varieties  of  them,  and 
this  was  the  glory  of  them  all.  What  glorious  pets  these 
creatures  would  be  if  they  could  only  be  divested  of  their 
perfume  box ;  for  I  dare  say  they  are  of  a  nature  to  be 
easily  tamed.  How  odd  that  such  extravagant  beauty 
should  be  so  foul ;  and  what  a  remarkable  provision  for 
defence,  that  of  discharging  an  insufferable  stink  upon  the 
adversary,  and  proudly  retiring  under  the  confusion  thus 
produced  !  It  is  difficult  or  impossible  to  comprehend 
what  is  the  position  or  duty  of  the  pole-cat  in  the  economy 
of  nature.     It  is  to  me  a  problem  without  a  solution. 

These  dreadful  animals  are  sometimes  extremely  vicious. 


240     TWO  THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON   HOESEBACK. 

and  have  been  known  to  attack  men  unprovoked.  A  gen- 
tleman who  witnessed  it  gave  me  this  instance  :  ^'I  was,? 
paid  he,  '^far  out  on  the  frontier,  hunting  bears,  Indians, 
and  other  wild  animals,  with  a  party  of  seven  or  eight, 
lieaded  by  Judge  Cowan,  of  Llano.  We  had  encamped  on 
a  little  creek  that  flows  into  the  Colorado,  not  far  from  the 
mouth  of  the  Concho.  Judge  Cowan  and  myself  were  sitr 
ting  on  the  opposite  banks  of  a  little  dirty,  greenish  looking 
pool,  trying  to  course  some  bees  that  came  there  to  get  water 
and  suck  the  mud.  When  we  stepped  up  to  the  pool  we 
saw  two  pole«cats  a  few  paces  from  us,  apparently  engaged 
in  courtship,  but  we  paid  them  no  attention.  The  Judge 
was  sitting  on  his  hunkers  closely  watching  a  bee  that 
seemed  about  to  depart,  when  one  of  these  pole-cats  leaped 
upon  his  back  and  clamped  his  teeth  into  the  collar  of  his 
coat.  The  Judge  grabbed  him,  and  seeing  the  nature  of 
the  animal,  uttered  an  exclamation  of  despair.  He  threw 
him  to  the  ground  with  violence  and  as  quickly  as  possible  ; 
but  it  was  all  too  late.  The  animal  had  let  fly  all  over 
him,  enveloping  him  in  a  dense  fog  of  intolerable  smell. 
His  clothing  was  saturated.  The  Judge  vomited  violently, 
and  said  he  would  die  the  most  miserable  death  that  ever 
man  died.  I  could  not  approach  him  near  enough  to  give 
him  any  succor,  had  it  been  in  my  power  to  do  so.  He 
was  compelled  to  strip  himself  to  his  shirt  and  drawers, 
and  even  then  emitted  so  great  an  odor  as  to  be  well-nigh 
unendurable.  The  worst  of  it  to  him  was,  that  it  was 
winter ;  a  fierce  norther  might  be  momentarily  expected^ 
and  there  was  not  a  human  residence,  where  clothing 
could  be  obtained,  within  a  hundred  miles.  The  result 
was  that  the  Judge  had  to  wrap  up  in  blankets  and  stay 
by  the  fire  for  several  days,  while  his  clothes  were  buried  in 
the  earth  to  .extract  the  smell.  It  had  that  effect  to  a 
great  degree,  but  still  the  Judge  was  rather  a  disagreeable 
neighbor  during  the  rest  of.  the  expedition." 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   li^   TEXAS   Oiq"   HOKSEBACK.     241 


Akcient  Kuii^s. 

From  Coglaii's  Cave  rode  south-west  five  miles  to  river 
San  Saba,  whose  glorious  valley  is  here  a  solitude,  but 
such  it  has  not  always  been.  Here  are  the  crumbling 
ruins  of  a  mighty  edifice  of  carved  stone  ;  and  the  remains 
of  a  net- work  of  irrigation  ditches,  extending  miles  along 
the  river,  tell  of  a  former  population,  enlightened,  pros- 
perous, and  multitudinous.  This  was  a  colony  of  farmers, 
miners  and  evangelists,  established  by  the  devoted  Fran- 
ciscan Fathers  to  do  good  in  the  dark  places,  and  after 
years  of  peace,  they  were  set  upon  by  the  treacherous  sav- 
ages about  them,  and  not  one  was  left  to  tell  the  sad  tale. 
In  a  single  night,  perhaps  in  a  single  hour,  the  red-handed 
savages  did  more  harm  than  they  ever  have  been,  or  ever 
can  be  capable  of  doing  good.*  This  terrible  butchery 
struck  such  horror  into  the  hearts  of  the  devoted  Fathers 
that  they  never  attempted  to  reestablish  their  colony,  and 
this  beautiful  land  has  been  left  in  its  native  wildness 
since.  Even  the  adventurous  Americans  and  colonizing 
Germans  have  not  sought  to  possess  this  ground  that  has 
drunk  torrents  of  innocent  blood.  This  is  said  to  have 
occurred  in  1742,  but  the  ruins  might  lead  one  to  suspect 
a  more  ancient  date. 

*  The  Catholic  priests  of  Texas  believe  that  this  colony  was  not  destroj^ed  by 
Indians,  but  by  Mexican  and  European  robbers.  Some  color  is  given  to  this  by 
the  fact  that  silver  mines  were  worked  in  the  vicinity,  and  the  robbers  may  have 
supposed  it  was  in  the  possession  of  the  priests.  And  yet  it  is  hard  to  believe 
that  those  in  search  of  silver  alone,  would  have  imbrued  their  hands  in  such 
wholesale  slaughter,  allowing  not  one  to  survive. 

II 


VII. 

Fort  McKavett. — Military  Life  ik  the 

WlLDERl^ESS. 

QTJAETERED  at  night  at  Fort  McKavett,  with  the 
sutler,  who  kindly  gave  me  shelter,  as  there  were 
no  citizens  to  whom  I  might  apply.  This  is  a  place  that 
nature  has  made  all  beautiful;  situated  at  the  head  of  the 
San  Saba  in  a  deep  amphitheatre,  in  a  noble  grove  of  oak 
and  elm.  An  immense,  boundless  plain  rises  just  beyond, 
and  rolls  away  hundreds  of  miles,  rising  here  and  there 
into  mountainous  ridges.  Six  companies  of  troops,  four 
of  negroes,  are  stationed  here,  to  guard  the  frontier  and 
lead  a  life  of  unsurpassed  laziness.  The  officers  and  men, 
80  far  as  I  saw  them,  carried  about  with  them  an  air  of 
.  immense  languor — as  if  they  had  nothing  to  do  and  did 
not  particularly  desire  anything  to  do.  I  should  think 
the  life  of  a  United  States  officer  at  one  of  these  remote 
posts,  unless  he  has  great  resources  within  himself,  must 
be  one  of  profound  stupidity.  And  what  must  it  be  to 
ignorant  men,  whose  life  is  bounded  by  what  they  see  !  It 
seems  to  me  that  nature  would  rot.  I  once  heard  a  good 
old  lady  say  that  ^^an  idle  mind  is  the  devil's  workshop/' 
This  is  true,  for  if  the  mind  is  not  diverted  by  some  good 
and  useful  occupation,  it  will  go  into  wickedness  and  pro- 
duce a  foul  crop  of  uncleanliness.  What  crops  of  unclean- 
linessmust  grow  in  the  minds  of  these  men,  languidly  and 
nervelessly  strolling  before  me,  as  if  the  noise  of  the  grass- 
hopper in  his  little    flight  was  an  insufferable    weight! 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   i:^   TEXAS   ON    HORSEBACK.      243 

Place  a  body  of  French  officers  and  troops  in  the  same 
situation,  and  they  would  soon  hatch  a  new  revolution.  I 
do  not  believe  that  an  idle  man  can  go  to  Heaven  ;  and 
none  of  them  are  virtuous.  While  among  these  people  I 
was  continually  thinking  of  Thompson's  ^^  Castle  of  Indo- 
lence," and  I  doubt  not  that  this  singularly  somnolent 
creation  was  suggested  to  his  mind  by  observing  a  military 
encampment  in  time  of  peace. 


VII. 

Eode  north  over  a  mighty,  rolling  prairie,  with  parks 
of  live  oak,  mounting  higher  and  higher  into  the  ethereal 
regions.  Grandest  grazing  country  in  the  world,  whether 
for  sheep,  horses,  or  cattle. 


VIII. 

AT  noon  rode  on  a  loffcy  ''backbone,"  from  which  it 
seemed  that  the  entire  universe  lay  below  me.  This 
point  is  probably  three  thousand  feet  above  the  sea.  Naked 
stones  and  desolation.  It  is  a  region  of  profound  silence, 
save  the  perpetual  beating  of  the  winds.  The  only  living 
creatures  are  a  few  Mexican  buzzards,  with  white  wings, 
floating  lazily  in  the  upper  regions,  and  lizards  warming 
themselves  on  the  rocks. 

The  Hor:n'ed  Frog. 

Some  of  these  lizards  are  so  original  in  their  appear- 
ance that  I  stop  to  capture  one,  which  is  easy  to  do,  as  his 
motions  are  not  fleet.  He  is  an  oddity,  and  if  he  were  as 
big  as  an  elephant,  he  would  be  the  most  monstrous  of 
creatures.  Even  as  he  is,  only  three  to  five  inches  long, 
his  appearance  is  decidedly  monstrous.  He  is  the  connect- 
ing link  between  the  frog  and  the  lizard,  and  so  much  of 
either  that  it  is  hard  to  say  of  which  he  most  partakes. 
He  is  called  the  horned  frog,  but  I  can  see  no  reason  why 
he  may  not  just  as  well  be  called  the  horned  lizard. 
His  feet  are  those  of  the  lizard,  his  body  part  frog  and 
part  lizard,  the  lizard  predominating;  his  tail  part  lizard 
and  part  pollywog.  He  has  however,  portions  of  his 
building  which  are  peculiarly  his  own,  suggesting  neither 
frog  nor  lizard,  nor  any  other  animal  or  reptile  that  walks 
or  swims  or  flies.  His  head  is  a  complete,  widely  open 
angle,  adorned  with  a  multitude  of  brisk  scales  projecting 
upward  and  backward  like  horns,  two  of  them  towering 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IK  TEXAS   OK   HOESEBACK.     245 

prominently  above  all  the  rest,  giving  the  little  creature  an 
exceedingly  ferocious  aspect.  Two  lines  of  horns  project 
down  his  body,  one  on  each  flank  and  the  other  above  the 
spinal  column.  He  is  a  dark  grey,  with  minute  white 
spots  sprinkled  all  over  him,  and  his  eyes  are  a  brilliant,  jet 
black,  like  two  bird-shots  stuck  into  his  frontispiece.  His 
mouth  when  open  is  prodigious,  looking  as  if  it  might 
swallow  Jonah  as  easily  as  the  whale  did.  His  motion, 
like  his  general  make  up,  is  a  mixture  of  frog  and  lizard 
— a  hop,  skip  and  crawl,  but  the  latter  seems  his  favorite 
method  of  propulsion.  Now  imagine  this  creature,  with 
all  his  horns  and  monstrous  assemblage,  increased  in  size 
to  an  elephant  or  buffalo,  and  conceive  yourself  coming 
npon  him  unawares  on  the  wide  prairie  or  in  the  deep  for- 
ests !  Would  not  the  hair  stand  on  end,  and  would  not 
human  nature  sink  under  the  dreadful  apparition  !  And 
yet,  during  the  Cretaceous  age,  just  such  a  creature  as 
this,  only  many  times  bigger  than  the  buffalo  or  elephant, 
peopled  these  very  plains — the  great  iguanodon.  This 
little  creature  is,  possibly,  the  lineal  descendant  of  that 
monster  of  the  ancient  world,  altered  by  adaptation  to  the 
changing  circumstances  and  climes.  And  singularly 
enough,  this  little  descendant  of  the  great  iguanodoUj 
sticks  closely  only  to  the  Cretaceous  regions  in  which  his 
monstrous  ancestors  flourished  ages  ago,  and  is  rarely  seen 
beyond  them.  Formidable  as  he  seems,  and  terrible  per- 
haps his  ancestry,  this  little  creature  is  a  model  of  gentle- 
ness and  docility.  When  you  take  him  into  your  hands, 
he  looks  at  you  with  his  little  dark,  brilliant  eyes,  with  an 
expression  which  seems  to  say — "  I  would  not  hurt  you  for 
the  world  !  "  You  may  turn  him  over  and  tickle  and  pro- 
voke him  ever  so  much,  yet  his  temper  will  remain  unruf- 
fled, and  he  will  still  look  at  you  with  the  same  tender  ex- 
pression. Such  is  his  sweetness  of  temper  under  all  cir- 
cumstances, that  he  is  a  great  favorite   with  the  little 


246     TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK. 

Texans,  who  frequently  drop  him  under  their  dresses,  at 
the  neck,  that  he  may  tickle  them  as  he  crawls  upward  or 
downward  on  the  naked  flesh.  He  is  a  pet  with  all  who 
know  him  and  have  leisure  to  fondle  him.  He  takes  his 
HMjals  on  a  mixture  of  flies  and  tender  herbage,  and  his 
drink  he  gathers  from  the  night  dews. 

This  great  ridge  or  backbone  is  the  dividing  line  that 
separates  the  waters  of  the  San  Saba  from  those  of  the 
Concho. 

Bivouac  with  Ebony  Soldiers. 

As  I  approached  Kickapoo  Springs  at  sundown,  after  a 
leisurely  but  most  solitary  ride  of  thirty  miles,  five  negroes, 
black  as  the  ace  of  spades,  wearing  the  uniform  of  the 
U.  S.  Cavalry,  advanced  to  meet  me,  and  when  I  asked  for 
lodging  for  the  night,  their  heavy  lips  opened  with  a  pleas- 
ant smile,  displaying  their  large  white  teeth.  '^With 
pleasure,  sir,"  said  they  with  one  accord  ;  ^'  we  are  glad 
that  you  have  come  ;"  adding  that  they  had  plenty  to  eat, 
but  were  sorry  they  could  furnish  me  no  bedding.  In  the 
kindness  of  their  hearts,  it  never  occurred  to  them  that  I 
would  be  loath  to  accept  their  bedding  if  they  had  abun- 
dance of  it.  They  were  of  the  10th  U.  S.  Cavalry,  placed 
here  to  guard  a  station  and  attend  a  small  herd  of  mules 
belonging  to  the  San  Antonio  and  El  Paso  mail  line.  They 
had  a  respectable  little  stone  house  for  their  quarters,  and 
their  mules  were  enclosed  at  night  in  a  stone  corral,  over 
which  one  sentinel,  relieved  at  intervals,  stands  guard 
while  the  others  sleep.  They  were  all  privates,  and  were 
as  neat  as  new  pins,  even  their  brogans  glittering  with  pol- 
ish. Their  rifles,  sabres  and  pistols  were  brilliant  with 
careful  keeping.  Having  supplied  my  horse  bountifully 
with  hay,  corn  and  barley,  and  secured  him  in  the  corral, 
they  invited  me  to  supper,  at  which  I  sat  round  the  board 
with  them.     They  were  very  polite  and  attentive  to  their 


TWO   THOUSAIS-D   MILES   IIST  TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.     24? 

guest,  and  seemed  anxious  that  I  should  have  the  best 
morsels.  Their  table  etiquette  was  faultless  and  cordial. 
Their  supper  consisted  of  the  usual  soldier  rations,  flanked 
by  wild  turkey  and  trout.  These  with  the  mules  were  the 
sole  occupants  of  this  isolated  station. 

After  supper  we  sat  together  out  doors  in  the  delight- 
ful night  air,  smoking  our  pipes  and  conversiug  familiarly. 
The  negro  is  perhaps  the  most  social  of  the  human  race, 
and  I  was  curious  to  know  how  they  liked  this  solitude. 
They  had  no  books  or  papers  and  could  not  read  them 
if  they  had.  *^Ah,"  said  they  unanimously,  ^Mt  is  the 
wearisomest  life  in  the  world.  We  just  counts  the  min- 
utes on  our  fingers  as  they  go.  We  like  soldier's  life  where 
there's  people,  'specially  black  ones,  but  way  out  here  in 
the  wilderness,  where  we  never  see  any  one,  'cepting  it's  a 
chance  traveller  like  you,  who  is  good  enough  to  stop  with 
us  at  night,  it's  just  like  being  buried  alive.  We  couldn't 
stand  it  at  all,  'cepting  that  we  know  that  our  'listment  will 
soon  be  out.  Then  we  are  going. right  back  to  civilization. 
We  never  have  anything  to  do  here  but  to  feed  and  rub 
the  mules,  and  eat  and  sleep.  No  Injuns  ever  troubles  us. 
We  wish  they  sometimes  would,  just  to  stir  us  up  a  little. 
They  passes  all  around  us,  but  never  gives  us  a  call." 

I  felt  sorrowful  for  my  ebony  entertainers.  The  negro 
loves  slothfulness,  but  here  he  has  it  in  too  big  a  volume  ; 
he  is  crammed  until  he  feels  the  dead  weight  of  satiety.  I 
asked  them  which  they  preferred,  their  life  here  or  life  in 
the  cotton  field  ?  '^  Oh,  give  us  a  little  cotton  field  of  our 
own,  and  we  would  stay  by  it  and  work  it  forever  !  " — but 
I  could  not,  though  I  put  the  question  by  indirect  ways 
several  times,  get  them  to  say  that  they  would  prefer  a 
cotton  field  with  an  overseer.  Their  military  life  had 
given  them  a  certain  degree  of  manliness  and  individual- 
ity, which  they  evidently  would  not  be  willing  to  sink  in  a 
life  so  suggestive  of  their  former  condition. 


2i8     TWO   THOUSAi^rD   MILES   IK  TEXAS   OlST   HORSEBACK. 

The  negro  soldier,  I  am  told,  rarely  or  never  deserts, 
and  he  makes  by  no  means  an  indifferent  man  of  war ; 
being  very  tractable,  scrupulously  obedient  to  orders,  and 
taking  readily  to  military  airs  and  manners.  The  late  war 
showed  that,  when  well  disciplined  and  officered,  they  will 
^tand  a  great  deal  of  wounds  and  death.  I  have  observed 
that  they  have  a  poetical,  almost  superstitious  devotion  to 
their  government :  they  are  truly  patriotic.  It  was  per- 
haps the  fatal  mistake  of  the  South,  in  the  late  war,  that 
she  did  not  at  once  manumit  her  slaves  and  put  a  large 
body  of  them  in  her  armies  ;  and  such  was  the  desire  of 
her  generals  and  soldiers  and  no  doubt  of  a  large  majority 
of  Ijer  people,  but  the  politicians,  who  are  generally  behind 
the  people,  would  not  dare  attempt  it. 

My  soldier  friends  seemed  anxious  I  should  talk  with 
them  all  night,  but  having  drawn  their  fund  of  knowledge 
and  conveyed  to  them  about  all  I  had  to  impart,  I  bade 
fhem  good  night,  and  spreading  my  blanket  and  great 
coat  under  a  live  oak,  slept  delightfully  in  the  open  air. 


IX. 


KiCKAPOO  Springs. — Pretty  but  Scaly* 

AFTER  breakfast  my  soldier  friends  pressed  me  with 
such  cordial  hospitality  that  I  determined  to  remain, 
with  them  till  another  morning,  and  thus  give  my  horse  a 
good  rest.  And  here  gushes  out  one  of  those  magnificent 
fountains  for  whifth  the  mountain  regions  of  Texas  are 
celebrated.  It  issues  at  the  base  of  the  great  backbone, 
from  a  crevice  in  a  huge  rock,  in  a  glorious  outburst  of 
limpid  water,  forming  a  pool  twenty  feet  in  width  and  four 
in  depth,  as  brilliant  a  sheet  of  water  as  earth  can  show. 
It  glides,  sparkling  and  flashing,  down  the  valley,  shaded 
with  live  oak  and  pecans,  bordered  with  a  rich  green 
lawn,  on  which  the  sweet  grasses  are  a  foot  high,  making 
a  soft,  thick  carpet  beneath  the  feet.  It  is  alive  with 
trout,  who  sport  in  wild  play,  while  the  squirrel  chatters 
and  the  raven  shrieks  above  them,  stealing  his  chance  to 
seize  one  when  he  unwarily  slips  into  too  shallow  waters. 
As  in  every  other  instance  within  my  knowledge,  this  foun- 
tain bursts  from  the  foot  of  the  Cretaceous  hills,  and  is  so 
tepid  as  to  be  almost  thermal.  It  is  a  place  of  charming 
beauty,  and  yet  so  wild  and  lonely  are  its  surroundings 
that  one  feels  oppressed  with  the  shadow  of  an  undefined 
superstition  as  he  wanders  along  the  valley.  The  silence 
is  profound,  save  the  murmuring  of  the  water,  the  splash- 
ing of  the  trout,  the  chatter  of  the  squirrels,  and  the  cry 
of  the  ravens. 

I  could  but  mark  the  demeanor  of  the  dark  soldier 


350    TWO  THOUSAND   MILES  IN  TEXAS  OK   HORSEBACK. 

who  walked  by  my  side.  He  was  cautions  and  solemn, 
and  kept  his  eyes  rolling  from  one  direction  to  another,  in 
careful  scrutiny.  He  said  in  a  half  undertone,  as  we  sat 
on  the  bank  of  the  stream  and  watched  the  trout :  "  This 
is  the  scaliest  place  in  Texas,  and  it  looks  so  too.  I  don't 
like  the  ways  of  them  ravens.  They  make  me  think  of 
dead  men's  bones.  They  'mind  me  of  hearses  and  their 
black  plumes.  They  and  the  Injuns  are  close  kin  and 
always  go  together.  Many  a  poor  man  has  seen  his  last 
sunset  here,  and  these  same  ravens  that  they  say  never 
die,  picked  their  bones."  He  then  told  me  the  tale  of 
many  Indian  murders  at  Kickapoo  Springs,  and  pointed 
out  a  spot  where  he  and  his  companions  had  found  a  dead 
man's  bones,  which  they  cai-'efully  coflected  and  buried. 
»Said  he  :  '*  We  never  go  far  from  the  station,  and  when 
we  do  we  keep  a  sharp  lookout."  He  believed  that  Indians 
'  loafed "  around  the  Springs  at  all  times,  watching  an 
opportunity  to  pierce  some  one's  heart. 

Hail-Storms. 

^*And  not  only,"  said  he,  ^Ms  this  place  dangerous 
from  Injuns  and  wild  animals,  but  it  is  dangerous  even 
from  the  elements.  It  storms  with  thunder  and  hail  here 
sometimes,  worse  than  any  battle  that  ever  was  fought. 
Last  summer  I  was  standing  in  the  door  of  the  station- 
house,  and  I  saw  a  great  dust  coming  over  the  prairie.  I 
watched  the  dust,  and  presently  I  saw  great  white  balls 
striking  the  ground  and  bouncing  up  again  and  coming 
to'rds  the  station  just  like  cannon-balls.  Them,  sir,  was 
nothing  but  blocks  of  ice,  as  big  as  my  two  fists.  Pres- 
ently they  struck  the  walls  of  the  corral  and  popped  like 
bombshells.  If  they  had  hit  any  man,  sir,  they'd  a  knocked 
him  stone  dead  and  gone  through  and  through  him.  These 
big  ones  didn't  fall  thick,  scattering  like  ;  but  directly  thfe 
little  ones,  about  as  big  as  walnuts  and  hen  eggs,  come  by 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IK   TEXAS   ON    HORSEBACK.     251 

the  millioTi.  They  rattled  on  the  roof,  beat  the  limbs  off 
the  trees,  beat  the  mules  half  to  death,  killed  cautions  of 
squirrels  and  ravens,  and  just  kivered  the  earth.  I  uever 
seen  the  beat  of  it.  Such  a  thing  as  that  catching  a  man 
out  in  a  prairie,  there'd  be  no  redemption.  One  of  them, 
sir,  some  time  ago,  stoned  a  flock  of  sheep  to  death,  near 
Fort  Davis,  and  the  old  herder  only  saved  himself  by  git- 
ting  under  a  rock." 

He  then  told  me  a  sad  tale  whicli  is  true.  A  few  years 
ago  a  major  in  the  U.  S.  Army,  travelling  with  his  wife 
and  daughter  and  an  escort,  from  one  of  the  remote  forts 
to  San  Antonio,  encamped  at  night  in  the  valley  of  Kicka- 
poo  Creek,  near  the  stream.  At  a  late  hour  of  the  night 
one  of  these  terrible  hailstorms  came  up.  Knowing  the 
danger  of  his  situation,  as  soon  as  the  storm  abated  suffi- 
ciently to  allow  him  to  expose  himself  to  it,  he  stepped 
out  of  his  tent,  and  perceived  an  immense  white  wall,  steal- 
ing rapidly  but  silently  upon  him.  He  rushed  into  the 
tent  and  gave  the  alarm,  but  before  he  could  get  his  family 
out,  the  great  rolling  wall  of  ice  was  already  crushing  irre- 
sistibly around  them.  His  little  daughter  was  swept  away 
and  lost ;  his  ambulance  and  mules  were  borne  off,  and  he 
and  his  wife  escaped  with  difficulty.  The  little  girl's  body 
and  the  ambulance  were  found  the  next  day  some  miles 
below.  Within  an  hour  the  singular  flood  of  hailstones 
and  water  had  entirely  passed,  and  Kickapoo  Creek  rolled 
along  with  no  more  than  its  usual  current. 

I  asked  the  soldier  if  such  storms  were  of  frequent  oc- 
currence. ''  I  never  seen  but  that  one,"  said  he,  ''  but 
they  may  be  expected  at  any  time  in  summer.  A¥hen  you 
see  a  red-looking  cloud  coming,  thundering  awful,  if  you 
ain't  near  a  good  strong  roof,  look  for  a  hole  in  the  rocks." 

I  have  myself  had  some  experience  of  these  hailstorms, 
and  know  that  they  are  formidable. 


X. 


Another  delightful  night  under  the  live  oak,  and  a  bath 
before  sunrise,  still  more  delightful,  in  the  glorious  foun- 
tain. And  then,  after  breakfast,  despite  the  solicitations  of 
my  soldier  friends,  who  desired  me  to  wait  another  day, 
that  I  might  have  the  company  of  the  mail  coach,  I  struck 
out  on  my  solitary  ride.  Parks  of  live  oak  ;  grand  rolling 
prairies,  green  as  summer  ;  flocks  of  deer  and  antelopes, 
which  gaze  at  me  a  while,  whisking  their  tails  nervously, 
and  then  bound  away.  Then  a  mountainous  region — 
dreary,  dry  and  desolate  in  the  extreme.  Finally,  at  noon, 
a  region  utterly  treeless,  but  beautiful  in  its  green  carpet, 
and  graceful  in  its  undulations.  Even  the  creeks,  without 
a  stem  upon  their  fertile  banks.  All  is  nudity,  except  the 
ever  luxuriant,  glorious  grass.  This  is  like  being  alone  on 
the  wide,  wide  sea.  I  seem  but  an  infinitesimal  speck  in 
this  vast  expanse.  Should  I  be  bounced  by  too  many  In- 
dians here,  what  could  I  do  but  stand  and  fight  ?  If  I 
would  run,  where  would  I  run  to  ?  There  is  no  place  to 
hide. 

Company  Enough. — A  Texas  Norther. 

It  is  excessively  warm.  No  summer  day  could  drag 
more  oppressively  than  this.  The  sun  exerts  his  fury,  and 
the  air  is  deadly — unnaturally — still.  Not  a  blade  of  grass 
bends  its  tall  head,  but  stands  bolt  upright  and  motion- 
less. A  haze  issues  out  of  the  ground,  or  is  it  the  atmos- 
phere so  motionless  that  it  becomes  visible  ?  This,  I  utter 
audibly  to  myself,  is  the  very  condition  that  precedes  an 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON  HORSEBACK.      253 

earthquake,  when  all  nature  falls  paralyzed  through  dread 
of  the  approaching  catastrophe.  Herds  of  deer  are  hurry- 
ing over  the  plains  toward  the  mountains,  some  with  their 
tongues  hanging  from  their  lips,  like  dogs  panting  for 
coolness.  Far  to  the  north  [  observe  a  little  black,  ragged, 
wispy  cloud,  hanging  above  the  horizon,  with  its  base  sunk 
beneath  it.  It  lifts  up  and  shoots  out  great  black  arms 
with  singular  rapidity,  as  if  some  powerful  propulsive 
force  attended  it.  It  seems  a  thing  of  life,  so  instinct  is  it 
with  motion.  In  the  meantime  the  deadness  of  the  atmos- 
phere has  become  more  appalling,  and  the  sickly  heat  has 
increased.  I  take  off  my  coat  and  vest  and  unbare  my 
bosom  to  the  broad  prairie,  saying  like  the  fainting  nymph : 
''  Come,  gentle  air  !  "  My  horse  is  as  wet  with  sweat  as  if 
he  had  just  emerged  from  a  lake,  and  he  pants  with  heat. 
I  think  of  loitering  in  cool  saloons  and  sipping  iced  juleps, 
being  so  hot  that  my  imagination  comes  to  relieve  me  with 
cool  and  tempting  pictures.  Looking  again,  the  black 
cloud  has  covered  half  the  heavens,  shooting  up  great  spires 
and  puffing  up  shapeless  masses  with  electric  rapidity. 

Suddenly,  with  no  warning  whatever,  save  in  these  por- 
tentous phenomena,  a  storm  of  Arctic  wind  is  precipitated 
upon  me.  Its  impact  is  peculiar.  No  light  currents  pre- 
cede it  as  the  messengers  of  coming  change,  but  it  strikes 
at  once  with  full  force,  like  a  great  rushing  flood  with  per- 
pendicular walls.  It  feels  as  if  it  had  been  caged  for 
months  in  caverns  of  ice,  or  swept  thousands  of  miles  over 
fields  of  snow.  It  is  like  stepping  out  of  a  hot  vapor  bath 
into  a  snow-drift.  Before  I  could  get  my  discarded  vest 
and  coat  upon  me,  I  was  chilled  to  the  marrow,  and  to 
recover  a  comfortable  degree  of  warmth  seemed  a  hopeless 
undertaking. 

This  is  a  regular  Texas  Norther,  and  a  more  eager, 
nipping,  searching  wind  does  not  exist.  There  are  no  in- 
termissions of  quiet,  no  stopping  to  take  breath,  but  the 


254     TWO   THOUSAN"D   MILES   IIS"  TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK. 

great  stream  of  Arctic  air  pours  on  in  a  continuous  flood. 
This  continuity,  this  ceaseless  activity,  this  perpetual  mo- 
tion is  its  terror.  Each  atmospheric  particle  eternally, 
irresistibly,  pushing  the  particle  before  it,  it  will  penetrate 
every  interstice  of  the  garment  and  reach  the  naked  flesh 
at  last,  in  spite  of  all  the  fortifications  of  dry-goods  that 
may  be  piled  up  against  it.  To  ride  square  into  its  face,  as  I 
do,  over  this  vast  prairie,  where  it  has  unobstructed  sweep, 
is  really  terrible.  It  is  like  charging  upon  a  deadly  array 
of  icicles,  all  with  points  keener  than  needles.  The  eyes, 
ears,  and  nose  suffer  fearfully;  and  entering  the  mouth,  it 
not  only  stocks  that  cavity  full  of  cold,  but  eliminates  every 
drop  of  moisture,  making  it  dry  as  a  chip  and  extremely 
uncomfortable.  The  fingers  become  benumbed,  and  a 
heavy  pair  of  boots  avail  little  to  protect  the  feet.  The 
particles  of  raging  atmosphere  force  each  other  through  the 
pores  of  the  leather,  under  the  socks,  and  soon  the  lower 
extremities  ache  with  exquisite  pain.  Truly,  this  is  the 
most  searching  wind  that  ever  blew.  It  will  find  out  every 
part  of  the  body,  applying  blister  after  blister  of  cold, 
until  the  last  particle  of  warmth  is  expelled.  The  mer- 
cury has  tumbled  at  once  from  about  ninety  to  near  the 
freezing  point,  an  instantaneous  fall  of  near  sixty  degrees  ; 
so  that  where  summer  reigned  but  a  moment  ago,  it  is  now 
the  bleakness  and  terror  of  winter.  The  annals  of  meteor- 
ology are  without  example  of  such  rapid  change  elsewhere 
on  earth.  To  make  the  matter  worse,  a  driving  misty  rain 
begins  to  fall,  making  my  situation  to  the  last  degree  dis- 
tressing. It  is  blown  full  into  my  face.  It  does  not  come 
directly  from  the  north,  but  a  few  degrees  to  the  west, 
exactly  into  the  course  which  I  am  pursuing. 

Whence  come  these  remarkable  winds,  and  what  use 
do  they  subserve  in  the  economy  of  nature  ?  They  are 
exclusively  Texan,  and  are  unknown  beyond  its  borders, 
save  a  short  distance  across  the  Kio  Grande.     Below  the 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.     255 

Texas  coast  their  impetuous  career  is  continued  a  hundred 
to  two  hundred  miles,  though  sometimes  they  die  out  be- 
fore reaching  the  coast.  When  they  have  been  unusually 
prolonged  and  severe,  they  ^^  right  about  face,"  returning 
whence  they  came,  with  their  intense  cold  taken  off,  but 
still  too  chilly  to  be  comfortable.  From  this  it  appears 
that  they  bank  up  the  atmosphere  over  the  Gulf  to  an 
inordinate  height,  and  ivhen  the  propulsive  force  from 
the  north  has  ceased,  it  slides  back  to  its  starting 
point. 

It  is  clear  that  they  take  their  rise  on  the  Llano 
Estacado,  or  great  Staked  Plain.  The  atmosphere  over 
this  great  plain  becomes  heated  and  rarefied,  and  is  finally 
expelled  from  the  hot  surface  on  which  it  rests,  and  the 
cold  blast  rushes  down  from  the  upper  strata  with  tre- 
mendous force  to  take  its  place  and  fill  up  the  void.  Where 
this  occurs,  it  is  a  monstrous  Niagara  Falls  in  the  atmos- 
phere, the  current  of  cold  air  plunging  over  a  precipice 
some  ten  thousand  feet  high,  then  spreading  out  and  rush- 
ing over  all  Texas.  That  this  current  comes  from^  the 
line  of  perpetual  snow  and  ice,  can  scarcely  be  doubted  by 
one  who  has  felt  the  intense  and  singular  iciness  of  its 
breath.  No  one,  I  suppose,  has  ever  happened  along 
when  this  great  flood  of  frozen  air  was  tumbling  down 
from  the  upper  regions,  but  should  any  one  do  so,  I  dare 
say  he  will  remember  it  to  the  last  day  of  his  life,  should 
he  be  fortunate  enough  to  make  good  his  escape  from  be- 
ing pressed  to  death  to  the  earth  and  pinned  to  it  with 
stakes  of  ice.  If  nature  can  have  anything  more  terrible 
than  the  point  of  descent  to  the  earth  of  one  of  these 
Texas  Northers,  I  am  not  able  to  conceive  what  it  may  be. 
This  I  take  to  be  the  meteorological  philosophy  of  these 
northers.  If  it  is  not  the  correct  one,  then  my  philosophy 
is  stumped.  And  yet  I  see  in  them  a  most  beneficent  ar- 
rangement of  the  Creator,  terrible  as  they  generally  are  to 


256     TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK. 

those  who  are  exposed  to  them.  They  make  the  only  win- 
ter that  is  known  in  Texas,  and  they  give  to  the  frugal 
countryman  the  only  showing  he  has  to  save  his  bacon. 
Without  the  norther,there  would  not  exist  a  single  ham  or 
a  clear  middling  in  Texas,  save  what  comes  from  the  north- 
west. Indeed,  human  nature  might  stagnate  from  the  un- 
broken prevalence  of  summer  heats ;  nature  might  sink 
relaxed,  but  these  northers  come  by  to  prop  her  up,  to  for- 
tify her,  and  infuse  a  new  current  of  energy  and  vigorous 
manhood  into  her  bones  and  muscles.  Then  in  the  wide 
Tertiary  lowlands,  the  new  earth  being  filled  with  carbona- 
ceous matter,  must  be  constantly  discharging. malarious 
gases  upon  the  atmosphere,  not  promotive  of  health.  The 
norther  brushes  all  of  this  away  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico, 
and  supplies,  in  place  of  it,  the  purest  atmosphere  of  the 
tenth  heaven.  After  the  norther  has  subsided,  nothing 
can  be  more  sweet  and  delicious  than  the  atmosphere  of 
Texas.  It  fairly  rings  with  brilliance,  sparkles  with  elec- 
trical purity,  and  almost  intoxicates  like  old,  pure  cham- 
pagne. The  lungs  drink  it  in  and  rejoice.  If  you  will 
rub  a  cat's  back  in  a  dark  corner  after  the  subsidence  of  a 
norther,  you  will  be  astonished  at  the  amazing  number  of 
electric  sparks  that  will  flash  from  her.  All  nature  is 
then  literally  surcharged  with  electricity,  and  is  drunk 
with  health  and  joy.  They  never  hurt  anybody,  except 
those  who  happen  to  be  caught  out  by  one  in  a  great  prai- 
rie, and  then  the  suffering  he  endures,  terrible  as  it  is,  is 
but  temporary.  He  is  all  right  as  soon  as  he  can  get  to 
fire.  It  leaves  no  after-claps  of  colds,  pneumonia,  influ- 
enza or  consumption.  Even  a  far  gone  consumptive 
receives  no  harm,  but  actual  benefit — so  great  is  the  deli- 
cious purity  of  these  terrible  winds.  They  usually  last 
about  three  days,  sometimes  a  week.  They  occur  fre- 
quently from  November  to  March,  but  terrible  as  they 
often  seem,  and  really  are,  the  mercury  rarely  falls  below 


TWO   THOUSAISTD   MILES   11^   TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK.     25? 

freezing  during  their  greatest  fury.  They  are  usually  not 
accompanied  by  rain,  but  when  they  are,  their  terror  is  in- 
creased, particularly  in  the  upper  regions  of  the  State,  where 
the  rain  is  often  converted  into  a  stinging  hail.  Some- 
times they  break  in  upon  an  impending  rain,  and  the 
clouds  scatter  before  them,  like  a  flock  of  ducks  before  the 
sportsman — leaving  a  beautiful  sky  without  a  cloud-speck 
upon  it.* 


XI. 

It  is  night,  and  it  is  one  of  Tartarian  blackness.  It 
seems  as  if  the  clouds  had  descended  to  the  earth,  and 
were  driven  past  me  by  the  furious  norther.  In  addition 
to  my  trouble  from  wind  and  rain,  now  comes  the  confu- 
sion resulting  from  the  dread  of  being  lost  on  the  bound- 
less prairie  and  freezing  to  death,  since  there  is  no  possi 
bility  of  kindling  a  fire.  The  road  is  no  more  perceptible 
to  my  eye  than  if  none  existed.  I  leave  my  horse  to  his 
own  instincts,  and  urge  him  ahead  with  the  spur.  He 
puffs  as  he  labors  ahead,  to  dispel  the  whirring  wind 
from  his  nostrils.  In  the  pitchy  darkness,  I  plunged  into 
a  rapid,  seething  river,  and  crossed  ;  its  frigid  waves 
rising  high  on  my  horse's  flanks,  and  inundating  my  boots. 
This  I  knew  was  the  Concho,  the  river  of  plains. 

*  One  of  the  best  accounts  I  ever  heard  of  a  Texas  Norther,  was  that  conveyed 
to  me  by  an  old  Scotch  gentleman,  who  was  then  new  in  Texas.  We  were  riding 
out  together,  and  the  atmosphere  was  as  usual,  oppressively  close.  He  bared 
his  bosom  to  catch  some  fresh  air.  I  knew  what  was  coming,  and  said  nothing. 
.  Presently  the  norther  came.  The  old  gentleman  said ;  "  What  a  cool  pleasani 
breeze  ! ''  In  about  two  minutes  he  commenced  buttoning  up  his  clothing,  and 
broke  out  :  "What  a  d— d  cold  wind  !"  The  severest  northers  in  the  lower 
portion  of  the  State  are  unaccompanied  by  rain,  but  usually  by  long  white  or 
leaden  clouds,  near  the  horizon. 


258    TWO  THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK. 


XII. 

^' Speed,  Malice,  speed" — amid  storm,  darkness  and 
sleet  —  stiff,  hungry,  and  half  froze  to  death.  A  half 
hour  passed  on.  Plunged  into  another  river,  which  took 
my  horse  to  mid  flanks,  drowning  my  boots  ;  rose  upon  an 
eminence  and  a  multitude  of  lights  gleamed  before  me. 
Presently  I  was  in  Mr.  Babcock's  hotel  at  Fort  Concho, 
and  felt  a  thrill  of  delight  as  I  sat  by  the  blazing  fire, 
emitting  a  small  fog  as  the  heat  expelled  the  water  from 
my  saturated  garments.  I  had  travelled  forty-four  miles 
during  the  day — one  half  of  it  in  the  face  of  terrors.  It 
was  midnight  when  I  slept. 


DIVISION  V. 


Camp  Coi^cho. — All  Grotesque. 

ON  stepping  out  after  breakfast,  I  realized  the  oddity 
of  the  situation.  I  had  penetrated  into  the  strangest 
land  in  the  world,  in  which  everything  is  grotesque. 
Nature  had  disrobed  herself  even  to  the  undershirt  and 
drawers,  and  these  fitted  as  tightly  as  the  gossamer  dress 
of  an  athlete.  Dame  Nature  had  sprung  suddenly  before 
me  in  the  garb  of  a  rope-dancer,  the  thin  fabric  being  all 
Lincoln  green.  This  picture  came  to  my  mind  so  vividly 
that  I  caught  myself,  for  the  first  time  in  my  life,  laugh- 
ing at  Nature,  which  I  lo^e  so  well.  Hitherto  I  had  fouud 
her,  if  not  always  splendidly  clad  and  adorned,  yet  not  in 
a  state  of  transparent  nudity  ;  and  this  condition  seemed 
all  the  more  absurd  in  view  of  the  scudding  mists  and 
stinging  norther,  which  continued  with  reckless  fury. 
'^  0  fair  undress,  best  dress  !"  is  not  true  of  dame  Nature 
any  more  than  it  would  be  true  of  any  other  dame  in  such 
a  tempest  as  this. 

The  vision  is  here  as  unobstructed  as  it  would  be  on 
the  back  of  a  giant  billow  in  mid  ocean,  when  there  is  no 
spray  in  the  air.  There  is  not  a  tree  or  even  so  much  as 
a  twig  that  is  visible.  The  biggest  vegetation  that  grows 
is  a  blade  of  grass.  When  urchins  grow  naughty,  mater- 
familias  is  compelled,  from  the  nature  of  the  case,  to  apply 
a  good  box  to  the  ears,  and  what  Dominie  Sampson  would 


260    TWO  THOUSAND   MILES  IN"  TEXAS   ON"   HORSEBACKe 

do  in  trying  to  preside  over  a  nest  of  unruly  school-butters, 
would  be  past  finding  out  if  cow-hides  were  not  readily 
procurable.  You  may  travel  a  half  day's  journey  and 
scarcely  find  twigs  enough  to  roast  a  sparrow's  egg. 

In  the  distance,  to  the  north,  there  is  a  range  of  low 
mountains,  which  are  also  grotesque,  if  not  positively  ab- 
surd. They  appear  to  have  once  been  great  mountains, 
lifting  their  peaks  into  the  snowy  clouds  ;  but  a  race  of 
giants,  passing  by,  shaved  them  off  to  a  ridiculous,  squat 
dwarfiness,  as  tables,  perhaps,  upon  which  to  spread  their 
victuals  ;  or  platforms,  perhaps,  from  which  the  gigantic 
demagogues  harangued  the  dear  populace ;  or  stages, 
perhaps,  upon  which  they  enacted  farce,  or  tripped  it  on 
the  light  fantastic.  Their  tops  are  smooth-shaven  plains, 
and  though  they  are  strung  out,  one  after  another,  as  far 
as  the  eye  can  reach,  they  are  as  indistinguishable  from 
one  another  as  two  Dromios. 

I  have  been  in  natural  situations  in  which  I  felt  ^^  cab- 
ined, cribbed  and  confined,"  and  wished  that  I  had  the 
wings  of  a  dove  that  I  might  fly  away  ;  but  here,  too 
much  freedom  is  oppressive,  and  the  mind  calls  for  a  limit. 
The  sky  and  horizon  are  too  remote,  and  it  seems  the 
^^  void  infinite." 

It  is  situated  between  two  rivers  at  their  point  of  junc- 
tion, and  the  point  is  grotesque.  Nature  can  do,  or  will 
do  nothing  here  as  she  does  it  in  other  places.  When  two 
rivers  run  together,  with  a  long  tongue  of  land  projecting 
between  them,  that  tongue  is  generally  a  low  sedimentary 
deposit,  crowded  with  forest  and  vine  that  rejoice  in  the 
fertility.  Here  the  tongue  is  elevated  fifty  feet  above  the 
rivers,  commanding  the  adjacent  territory  in  whatever 
direction  you  look.  The  tongue  is  thickest  at  its  point. 
Narrow  strips  of  land  elevated  above  the  surrounding 
regions  elsewhere,  are  barren  to  the  last  degree,  generally 
naked  stones  ;  but  here  it  is  a  rich  alluvial  soil,  looking  as 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES    IN   TEXAS   ON"   HORSEBACK.    261 

if  it  had  been  compounded  for  some  fine  lady's  garden. 
In  other  regions  the  channels  of  rivers  nsnally  have  a 
gradual  descent,  at  least  to  the  water's  edge,  but  here  they 
precipitate  downward,  like  the  plumb  to  the  line,  and,  if 
deviating  at  all  from  the  perpendicular,  sloping  under. 
The  waters  of  rivers  in  other  lands  look  dark  in  tempes- 
tuous weather  ;  but  the  waters  of  these  rivers  flash  like 
diamonds  whether  the  skies  are  brilliant  or  black.  In 
other  rivers,  the  cat-fish  and  eels  for  the  most  part  wear 
yellow  skins,  and  have  little,  snaky,  weazen  eyes  ;  but  here 
thei-r  skins  are  as  blue  as  litmus,  and  they  have  big  pop- 
eyes.  In  other  countries  trees  grow  on  the  top  of  the 
ground  ;  but  here  they  absolutely  grow  underground,  in 
rank,  dense  forests,  revelling  in  luxui^ant  growth. '  This 
seems  incredible,  I  know  ;  and  it  is  all  of  that,  but  it  is  so. 
Prodigious  forests  of  gigantic  trees  under  the  ground, 
growing  so  thickly  that  a  mole  can  scarcely  ride  his 
brother  between  them  !  It  is  ^^  prodigious,"  but  it  is  so. 
I  shall  go  with  my  reader  into  one  of  these  subterranean 
forests  after  awhile,  and  we  shall  find  them  greatly  peopled 
with  squirrels,  an  odd  sort  of  bird,  and  we  shall  hear  the 
whiz  of  the  rattlesnake  around  us  as  we  cut  our  way 
through  these  deep  shades  and  trackless  depths.  And  we 
shall  see  dark,  silent  pools  of  water,  at  which  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  subterranean  forests  drink. 

Art  Imitates  Her. 

And  nature  here  is  not  alone  in  its  grotesqueness.  Art 
has  sat  too  near  the  rose,  and  has  become  penetrated  with 
its  fragrance.  She  imitates  nature's  example,  and  equals 
her  on  a  diminutive  scale.  The  bricks  of  which  some  of 
the  houses  are  built,  are  very  grotesque.  In  other  lands 
they  are  moulded  of  clay  and  sand  and  burnt  in  fire. 
Here  they  are  moulded  of  clay  and  straw  and  are  baked  in 
the  sun.     In  other  lands   bricks  are   red  ;  here   they  are 


262     TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   OK    HORSEBACK. 

cream  to  dark  dove — sometimes  black.  In  other  lands 
bricks  are  but  bricks  in  size  ;  here  they  are  great  blocks, 
aping  great  stones  dug  out  of  the  bowels  of  the  earth.  In 
other  lands  bricks  are  cemented  together  by  lime  and 
sand  ;  here  they  are  placed  in  the  dry  wall  and  left  to  fur- 
nish their  own  cement  by  gradually  melting  together. 
Thus  if  one  should  build  a  fabric  of  blocks  of  molasses 
candy,  and  place  it  out  under  the  dews  of  heaven,  it  would 
soon  become  one  solid  mass,  and  in  heavy  rains  might  all 
melt  away.  So  might  the  adobe  houses — for  such  these 
bricks  and  the  houses  built  of  them  are  called — but  they 
are  protected  against  that  fatality  by  the  rarity  of  the 
rains.     They  are  the  true  dry  weather  houses. 

And  the  roofs  of  these  grotesque  houses  are  exceed- 
ingly grotesque.  On  the  tops  of  the  walls  they  place  a 
series  of  stout  poles,  slanting  to  the  rear,  the  front  wall 
being  built  considerably  higher  for  this  purpose.  Then 
they  lay  on  a  thick  stratum  of  long  grass  ;  upon  this  they 
place  a  stratum  of  mud ;  then  another  stratum  of  grass, 
then  another  of  mud,  until  they  have  built  it  to  the  desired 
thickness.  In  process  of  time  these  various  strata  be- 
come greatly  consolidated,  but  never  so  much  so  as  to  pre- 
yent  colonies  of  stinging  lizards  from  taking  up  their  resi- 
dence in  them;  from  which  they  descend  almost  nightly 
during  warm  weather,  into  the  beds  of  the  occupants, 
making  their  quarters  for  a  time  entirely  too  hot  for  them.* 
But  grotesque  as  they  are,  these  houses,  from  the  thickness 
of  their  walls  and  roofs,  are  warm  in  winter  and  deliciously 

*  These  stinging  lizards  are  small  creatures,  from  an  inch  to  two  inches  long 
exactly  resembling  the  picture  of  the  Scorpion  in  the  almanacs,  with  a  turned 
up  tail,  in  which  they  have  a  stinging  apparatus  which  can  sting  an  indefinite 
number  of  times  in  very  rapid  succession.  When  they  get  between  one's  flesh 
and  the  clothes,  which  they  sometimes  do,  they  create  a  great  sensation  by  the 
rapidity  of  their  fire.  Their  sting  is  sharper  than  that  of  a  wasp,  attended  with  a 
strange  sensation  of  heat  and  a  faint,  peculiar  odor  of  fire,  but  the  pain  quickly 
departs,  and  there  is  little  or  no  swelling.  They  are  very  fond  of  Mexican  houses, 
and  all  wooden  houses  that  have  cracks  in  which  they  may  enter. 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   11^  TEXAS   OlS^   HOSSEBACK.     263 

cool  in  the  summer.  Such  is  the  Babcock  House  in  which 
I  am  quartered. 

Seven  hundred  soldiers,  with  brass  buttons,  armed  to 
the  teeth,  stationed  in  this  boundless  prairie,  where  there 
is  nothing  to  fight,  save  a  few  straggling  Comanches  and 
Lipans,  seem  to  me  the  climax  of  grotesqueness.  Why  that 
is  enough  to  clean  out  the  last  Indian  in  Texas  before 
breakfast.  And  yet  they  do  not  do  it ;  which  is  also  a 
grotesqueness,  rivalling  if  not  surpassing  that  of  nature 
hereabout.  These  men,  except  the  officers,  are  all  blacks, 
belonging  to  the  10th  U.  S.  Cavalry.  There  are  ten  com- 
panies, and  it  is  the  capital  military  post  of  the  State. 

The  quarters  of  the  officers  are  also  grotesque,  when 
considered  from  the  standpoint  of  this  vast  wilderness. 
They  are  spacious  buildings  of  stone,  with  all  the  mod- 
ern improvements,  even  richly  furnished,  and  would  be  no 
mean  feather  in  the  architectural  plume  of  any  city. 
When  the  eccentric  Lady  Hester  Stanhope  built  a  palace 
of  oriental  splendor  in  the  Arabian  desert,  it  was  grotesque  ; 
and  no  less  so  are  the  palaces  that  Uncle  Sam  has  so  pro- 
fusely spent  his  money  on  in  this  wilderness.  He  poured 
out  his  money  to  the  tune  of  several  hundred  thousand 
dollars,  and  evidently  came  to  stay. 

Big  Expectation's — And  What  They  Came  To. 

The  sutler's  store  is  palatial.  It  had  to  be,  to  play 
its  part  in  the  grotesque  role.  Built  of  noble,  carved 
blocks  of  cream' colored  limestone,  it  would  attract  atten- 
tion on  magnificent  Broadway.  He  evidently  came  to  stay, 
but  he  did  not.  It  was  built  by  the  sutler  who  preceded 
.the  present  one.  He  thought  so  much  of  his  post  that  he 
contracted  to  pay  the  influential  gentleman  who  procured 
the  appointment  for  him,  five  thousand  dollars  in  periodi- 
cal instalments.  Two  of  these  he  paid  promptly,  but  de- 
faulting on  the  third,  he  was  promptly  discharged  from  his 


264     TWO   THOUSAND    MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON    HORSEBACK. 

post,  and  the  present  sutler  appointed  to  supersede  him. 
He  appealed  for  mercy,  but  in  vain.  He  was  forced  to 
sell  his  palatial  store-house  and  large  stock  of  goods  to  his 
successor  at  a  heavy  loss,  and  was  turned  loose  a  bankrapt 
with  a  large  family  to  support.  His  main  text  ever  since 
then,  as  I  learn,  has  been  :  '^Put  not  your  faith  in  Princes 
or  the  sons  of  Princes  : "  varied  occasionally  by  the  substi- 
tution of  politicians  for  princes.  While  he  hath  waxed 
lean,  his  successor  hath  waxed  fat ;  because  he  did  not  have 
the  palace  to  build,  but  bought  it  at  a  low  price,  eke  his 
goods,  and  possibly  had  no  stipend  to  pay  to  an  influen- 
tial friend.  Crednt  Jiidceus  Apella  !  He  enjoys  the  monop- 
oly of  the  trade  of  at  least  a  thousand  regular,  liberal 
consumers,  besides  many  transient  customers,  and  never 
loses  a  cent.  He  credits  none  but  men  of  the  army,  and 
the  paymaster  always  pays  his  bills  before  he  pays  the 
soldier.  It  is  no  wonder  these  positions  are  sought  with 
so  much  avidity.  Sutlers  always  get  rich  if  they  have 
not  to  pay  too  much  for  the  whistle,  and  if  they  do  not 
themselves  become  corrupted  by  too  rapid  money-making, 
'  and  drift  into  spendthrifts. 

You  can  buy  anything  in  this  sutler's  store,  from  a 
box  of  axle  grease,  or  a  Scotch  herring,  to  a  roll  of  Brus- 
sel's  lace  or  a  cask  of  Holland  schnapps  ;  but  I  bought 
nothing  but  a  single  cock-tail,  for  which  I  paid  a  quarter 
of  a  dollar.  It  was  as  good,  with  the  exception  that  there 
was  no  ice  in  it,  as  any  I  ever  sipped  in  the  gaudy  saloons 
of  Broadway.* 

The  Holy  Angels. 

Near  the  Fort  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the  North  Con- 
cho, sits  a  cluster  of  adobe  houses,  known  as  Sant  Angeles. 

♦  I  understand  that  they  keep  two  classes  of  bottles :  one  class,  filled  with  ex- 
cellent liquor,  for  the  officers  and  stranojers  who  look  like  gentlemen,  and  anotner 
class,  filled  with  very  villainous  stuff,  for  the  common  soldiers,  and  strangers  who 
do  not  look  like  gentlemen  ;  but  they  all  have  to  pay  a  quarter  of  a  dollar. 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IK   TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK.     265 

I  travelled  thither,  crossing  the  river  by  leaping  from  one 
big  stone  to  another,  until  I  lit  on  the  north  bank.  Being 
in  it  I  wished  I  were  away,  yet  a  singular  spell  bound  me 
to  loiter  an  hour.  Its  population  is  about  a  hundred,  said 
to  be  very  bad  subjects,  and  appearances  certainly  do 
not  belie  the  tales  that  are  told  on  them.  The  males  are 
Mexicans  and  Americans,  and  the  females  all  Mexicans,  as 
far  as  I  saw  them.  The  former  are  said  to  earn  their  wages 
by  enticing  the  negro  soldiery  into  their  dens  and  depriv- 
ing them  of  their  money  at  the  card  table,  and  sometimes 
by  bolder  exploits  on  the  road.  Some  are  suspected  to  be 
birds  who  have  flown  from  distant  quarters  to  escape  the 
meshes  of  the  law.  The  women  appear  to  be  such  crea-. 
tures  as  would  naturally  be  attracted  to  such  men,  and  are 
said  to  share  their  enterprises  and  profits,  as  faithful  and 
skilful  decoys.  I  never  saw  a  folk  whose  countenances  so 
boldly  declared  their  business  and  the  evil  within.  It  is 
said  that  intellectual  and  pleasing  engagements  give  beauty 
to  the  face  and  purity  to  the  eye.  This  is  undoubtedly 
true,  to  a  great  extent ;  and  so  is  the  reverse  of  the  prop- 
osition. Here  it  is  bloated  languor  among  the  women  and 
red-eyed  deviltry  among  the  men  :  their  countenances  are 
clouds  that  have  no  silver  lining  ;  yet  there  is  a  swagger 
and  devil-may-care  about  both.  I  could  not  help  but 
think  that  if  this  folk  should  all  go  to  the  devil  together, 
that  worthy  would  be  ashamed  of  his  guests  and  slam  the 
door  in  their  faces.  But  it  is  a  question  with  me  whether 
people  who  sink  to  such  depths  really  have  any  souls  to  go 
anywhere  after  they  are  dead.  The  soul  may  be  the  growth 
of  a  better  life.  It  is  a  sad  thought  to  think  that  every  one 
of  these  was  once  fondled  on  a  devoted  mother's  knee  and 
was  the  hopeful  pride  of  a  father.  If  these  live,  let  us 
offer  a  flower  to  their  bleeding  hearts. 

I  was  leered  at  with  strange  interest,  though  there 
were  none  who  undertook  to  force  any  familiarity  upon 


266     TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   li^T  TEXAS   OisT   HORSEBACK. 

me.  When  they  addressed  me  I  responded  with  courtesy, 
but  not  that  sort  which  encourages  renewal.  Some  say 
that  almost  nightly  some  poor  fellow  is  here  sent  to  his 
^  long  home,  with  blade  or  pistol,  but  this  is  no  doubt  an 
exaggeration.  The  sutler  has  a  branch  stor-;  here,  and 
I  should  think  that  his  clerk  behooves  to  be  a  most  cir- 
cumspect man  of  fortitude  and  nerve. 

The  name  of  this  place  is  sacrilegious,  and  he  must  be 
an  impious  or  sarcastic  wretch  who  so  named  it.  It 
means  the  city  of  the  ''  Holy  Angels."  If  some  Mexicau 
thus  named  it,  it  is  regular  enough  ;  for  you  can  hardly 
hear  of  a  highwayman  or  big  thief  in  Mexico,  whose  name 
is  not  ^'  Jesus"  or  ^^ Emmanuel."  * 

The  Cemetery. — '^U:NrK]^owN." 

Above  the  fort  a  few  hundred  yards,  between  the  two 
rivers,  is  the  cemetery,  containing  forty  or  fifty  graves, 
marked  with  headstones,  on  quite  a  number  of  which  is 
the  inscription — "  Unknown  ;"  which,  though  but  a  single 
word,  tells  to  the  heart  a  longer  and  sadder  story  than  if 
the  whole  stone  were  filled  with  words.  It  tells  of  the 
traveller  slain  by  the  skulking  highwayman  or  Indian  ;  of 
companion  murdered  by  companion  on  the  lonely  roadside 
in  the  vast  prairie,  or  the  unsuspecting  stranger  enticed 
into  the  dens  of  the  ^'  Holy  Angels,"  and  there  slain  for 
his  money.  It  tells  to  him  who  stands  and  reads,  that  a 
foe  lurks  continually  around  him,  awaiting  his  chance  to 
lay  him  low  and  write  above  the  sod  that  shall  press  his 
bosom — '^Unknown."     He  turns  away  sick  at  heart,  de- 

*  The  city  of  the  Holy  Angels  has  improved  very  much  since  our  traveller 
visited  it.  The  buffalo  hunters  made  it  their  head  quarters,  where  they  prepared 
their  skins  and  meat  for  market,  expelling  the  worst  characters.  Tom  Green 
County,  in  which  it  is  situated,  has  also  received  a  considerable  population  since, 
whose  presence  was  a  continual  menace  to  the  Angels,  compelling  them  either  to 
mind  their  manners  or  depart. 


TWO   TH0USA;N^D   miles   IX   TEXAS   ON    HOKSEBACK.      267 

termined  to  look  for  the  foe  behind  every  stone  or  turf  in 
this  wilderness. 

This  post  has  been  occupied  by  the  army  fifteen  years  at 
least,  and  always  in  considerable  force  ;  and  yet  of  the 
forty  or  fifty  graves  here,  not  more  than  half  are  of  sol- 
diers, and  there  is  not  one  of  an  officer ;  which  proves  that 
men  do  not  readily  die  here,  and  officers  not  at  all.  It 
probably  required  the  hand  of  violence  to  put  the  ceme- 
tery in  motion,  and  without  it,  it  would  be  slimly  inhab- 
ited, indeed. 

Col\  Anderson. — CoMPAGiiroi^s  du  Voyage. 

I  called  on  Col.  Anderson,  commandant  of  the  Post, 
whom  I  found  like  all  West  Pointers  I  ever  knew,  a  gen- 
tleman and  scholar.  I  asked  for  a  detail  of  two  soldiers  to 
accompany  me,  I  proposing  to  defray  expenses.  He  said 
he  could  not  detail  soldiers  as  an  escort  to  private  gentle- 
men, or  for  any  private  purpose.  After  explaining  myself 
more  fully,  he  said  :  ^"'It  is  of  the  nature  of  a  reconnois- 
sance,  and  may  be  of  service  to  the  country.  I  will  not 
order  my  soldiers  to  go  with  you,  but  if  two  will  volun- 
teer, I  will  give  my  consent."  I  thanked  him  and  he 
added  .that  I  should  have  two  good,  reliable  men  if  any 
at  all. 

An  hour  later,  two  mulattoes  in  cavalry  uniform  called 
for  me  at  Mrs.  Babcock's.  Conversing  with  them,  I  soon 
found  that  they  suited  me,  and  explaining  fully  my  pro- 
posed route,  I  offered  them  fifty  dollars  each  for  their 
company.  They  promptly  accepted,  adding  that  they 
would  report  satisfaction  to  the  Colonel  and  report  in  per- 
son to  me  at  sunrise  the  following  morning.  They  were 
bright,  intelligent  fellows,  robust,  free-born,  and  enlisted 
in  New  York  City.  They  had  seen  considerable  service  on 
the  frontier,  but  knew  nothing  of  the  country  whither  I 


268     TWO   THOUSAXD    MILES    IN   TEXAS   OX   HORSEBACK. 

should  lead  them.      One  is  Jones  Johns  by  name ;   the 
other  John  Powell. 

Promptly  at  sunrise  they  saluted  me,  mounted  on 
strong  horses,  and  formidably  armed.  We  had  seventy-two 
shots  between  us  without  reloading.  Filling  our  haver- 
sacks with  cheese  and  hard  tack,  and  a  little  coffee  and 
salt,  we  rode  up  the  Concho. 


IL 


A  Populous  City. — Subterrakean  Forests. 

AFTER  an  hour  or  two  we  found  ourselves  riding 
through  the  streets  of  a  populous  city,  whose  in- 
habitants on  seeing  us  scampered  awa}^  in  hot  haste,  and 
stood  at  their  doors  abusing  us.  As  we  drew  near  their 
doors,  they  skulked  within  and  would  not  venture  out  again 
until  we  had  turned  our  backs  upon  them  ;  seeing  which 
they  immediately  returned  to  discharge  their  volleys  of 
abuse:  like  some  cowards  who  bluster  greatly  when  they 
see  their  adversary  has  no  desire  to  fight  them.  These  are 
a  peculiar  folk,  who  build  their  residences  under  ground, 
and  pile  up  mounds  of  dirt  about  the  entrance,  probably 
to  prevent  the  ingress  of  floods  when  it  rains.  This  is  a 
city  of  Prairie  Dogs,  and  I  judge  its  population  to  be 
several  thousand,  from  its  extent  and  the  clamor  of  the 
inhabitants.  But  why  call  these  noisy  little  urbans  dogs, 
since  tliey  in  no  respect  resemble  the  dog  ?  It  is  true,  when 
seen  at  a  little  distance,  squatting  at  their  holes  barking^ 
at  you,  they  look  much  like  a  fat  puppy,  and  their  bark  is 
somewhat  similar,  but  take  one  in  your  hands,  and  all  sug- 
gestion of  a  canine  ceases.  He  then  becomes  a  fat,  chunky- 
bodied  squirrel,  and  such  he  really  is,  save  that  his  tail  is 
short  and  nearly  hairless.  He  loves  to  sit  on  his  hind- 
quarters as  the  squirrel  does,  and  in  such  position  you 
would  surely  take  him  for  a  fat  squirrel  who  had  lost  his 
tail.  He  is  edible,  and  save  that  his  flesh  has  a  slightly 
bitterish  taste,  it  is  much  like  that  of  a  squirrel;  being 
more  juicy  and  tender. 


270     TWO   THOUSAND    31ILES   IN   TEXAS   ON   HOKSEBACK. 

We  captured  several  of  these  creatures^  and  not  one  of 
them  but  was  fat  almost  to  obesity.  This  would  seem  re- 
markable, in  view  of  the  fact  that  usually  there  is  not 
about  their  cities  a  sprig  of  grass,  or  anything  on  which 
they  might  feed.  The  American  Encyclopedia  says  that 
they  live  only  on  grass,  and  graze  only  at  night.  Neither 
statement  is  correct.  Grass  is  not  their  food,  because,  in 
the  first  place,  their  mouths  are  so  constructed  that  they 
could  not  eat  it  Avithout  infinite  discomfort ;  and  secondly, 
they  cannot  usually  obtain  it  if  they  would.  Wolves 
always  hover  around  their  cities,  and  at  night  they  are  par- 
ticularly on  the  alert,  for  that  is  wolf  time,  and  these  little 
fellows  could  not  venture  abroad  at  that  time  in  search  of 
grass,  without  being  instantly  devoured.  They  know  their 
enemies,  and  stay  home  and  sleep  at  night. 

Where  then  do  these  little  creatures,  who  are  U^mps 
of  animated  grease,  get  their  oil  from— since  all  is  poverty 
and  bleakness  around  them,  so  far  as  can  be  seen  ? 

My  reader  has  doubtless  wondered  where  the  Con- 
choites  and  Holy  Angels  get  their  fuel  in  this  treeless 
region.  So  did  I,  and  I  wondered  still  more  when  I 
learned  whence  they  get  it.  A  deposit  of  excellent  coal 
has  been  found  a  few  miles  north  of  the  Fort,  but  it  has 
not  been  utilized.  Biding  over  these  vast  prairies,  though 
you  will  see  no  trees,  yet  you  will  often  see  a  tender  little 
switch  of  the  mesquite,  shooting  a  few  feet  above  the 
ground.  Now  stop  at  one  of  these  and  strike  at  its  root 
with  a  pick-axe  ;  you  will  expect  nothing  but  tender, 
fibrous  roots,  but  instead  of  these  the  pick  comes  in  con- 
tact with  a  heavy,  solid  body.  Surprised,  you  remove  the 
thin  covering  of  earth,  and  you  find  a  living  log,  as  thick 
as  a  man's  leg,  extending  you  know  not  how  far.  Ex- 
ploring further  around  the  same  little  shoot,  you  find 
many  logs  of  the  same  size,  and  an  infinite  number  of 
branches  extending  from  them.      Thus,  each  little  twig 


TWO   THOUSAI^D   MILES   liq"  TEXAS   Oi^   HORSEBACK.     271 

yields  you  from  a  quarter  to  a  half  cord  of  fuel- wood,  not 
equalled  for  that  purpose  by  any  other  wood  within  my 
knowledge.  Thus,  these  treeless  plains  are  filled  with 
fuel,  almost  equal  in  its  supply  to  the  heaviest  forests. 
These  shoots  do  not  increase  in  size,  but  after  attaining  a 
certain  dimension,  too  small  to  be  dreaded  by  an  urchin, 
they  either  stand  at  that,  or  die  and  give  place  to  others. 
The  branches  of  the  large  roots  left  in  the  ground, 
speedily  supply  the  loss  by  other  roots  as  large  as  those 
taken  away. 

From  these  remarkable  subterranean  forests  the  Con- 
choites  and  Holy  Angels  obtain  their  supplies  of  fuel,  and 
from  the  same  I  doubt  not  that  the  populous  prairie  dog 
derives  his  store  of  provisions.  I  have  not  explored  one 
of  his  cities,  but  I  dare  say  that  he  who  does  so,  will  find 
these  subterranean  forests  in  full  vigor  or  partly  destroyed. 
When  they  have  been  destroyed  to  such  an  extent  that 
they  will  no  longer  keep  him  fat,  he  gathers  his  colony 
and  departs  for  other  fields — suffering  heavy  slaughter 
from  wolves  by  the  way. 

Who  can  explain  these  subterranean  forests  ?  Some 
say  it  is  because  the  sun  shines  so  hot  here  that  trees  can- 
not grow  under  its  rays,  and  that  therefore  they  hide 
themselves  from  its  rays  and  flourish  under  ground.  This 
is  not  so,  because  the  sun  does  not  shine  so  fiercely  here 
as  in  many  other  regions  of  the  State  where  forests  abound, 
and  not  nearly  so  hot  as  in  the  tropics  where  forest  and 
jungle  run  riot.  Others  say  that  it  is  because  it  does  not 
rain  enough  to  support  forests  above  ground ;  hence  they 
grow  beneath  ground,  and  live  upon  the  moisture  that  the 
earth  affords.  This  is  not  so,  because  trees  drink  and 
feed  with  their  roots  and  discharge  with  their  pores  and 
leaves,  and  the  moisture  that  would  feed  a  great  growth 
under  ground,  would  equally  feed  it  above  ground.  Others 
say  it  is  because  fires  often  sweep  the  prairies,  compelling 


272     TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK. 

the  vegetative  force  that  would  otherwise  produce  trees, 
to  the  production  of  enormous  roots.  But  tliis  is  not  so, 
because  when  the  trunk  is  killed,  usually  the  root  dies 
also  ;  and  there  is  no  evidence  that  fires  prevail  here  more 
than  they  have  prevailed  in  other  portions  of  Texas  where 
trees  are  numerous.  And,  moreover,  it  is  a  fact  that  even 
in  this  ocean  of  prairie  there  are  a  few  trees  here  and 
there,  even  of  mesquite,  in  positions  as  much  exposed  to 
these  fires  as  they  would  be  on  the  site  of  the  subterranean 
forests. 

I  leave  the  explanation  to  the  philosophers,  and,  in  the 
meantime,  can  think  of  nothing  better  than  this  :  When 
the  Architect  creates  a  peculiar  condition  of  life,  he  creates 
a  peculiar  condition  of  circumstances  favorable  to  that 
life  ;  and  when  the  peculiar  circumstances  cease,  the  life 
peculiar  to  them  ceases,  and  another  takes  its  place,  suita- 
ble to  the  changed  order  of  things.  This  is  true  history, 
from  the  beginning  of  the  world  to  the  present,  and  doubt- 
less ever  will  be.  Thus,  the  buffalo  that  once  roamed  over 
the  American  continent,  has  retired  before  the  advancing 
forests,  as  the  Indian  has  retired  before  advancing  civili- 
zation. So  I  doubt  not  that, in  time  the  conditions  of 
prairie-dog  life  will  expire,  and  the  forests  that  now  grow 
under  ground  will  grow  upon  it,  admitting  and  creating 
cities  of  men  in  place  of  these  cities  of  so-called  dogs. 
This  then,  under  its  present  condition,  is  prairie  dog 
country,  par  excellence.  It  will  hardly  do  to  say  that  the 
Architect  would  not  take  the  pains  to  create  so  grand  a 
scope  of  country  for  such  lowly  conditions  of  life.  The 
poor  polyp,  boneless,  brainless,  headless,  motionless,  once 
had  all  the  world  to  himself. 

A  Mixed  and  Happy  Family. 

These  prairie  dogs,  have  strange  friends,  who  sit  in  the 
family  circle  and  live  with  them  in  the  closest  friendship. 


TWO   THOUSAN^D   MILES   IK   TEXAS   ON   HOKSEBACK.     273 

Let  us  attempt  to  enter  one  of  their  subterranean  abodes. 
We  knock  at  the  door  and  are  answered  instantly  by  the 
deadly  whirr  of  the  rattlesnake,  who  like  a  brave  and  con- 
siderate fellow,  w^arns  us  not  to  advance  into  this  danger  ; 
but  assures  us  that  if  we  persist,  he  will  welcome  us  to  a 
hospitable  grave.  He  is  the  faithful  and  eternal  sentinel 
that  guards  the  door,  and  the  little  dogs  must  pass  over 
or  around  him  every  time  they  leave  or  enter  their  abode. 
The  hungry  wolf  knows  that  he  is  there,  and  could  not  be 
induced  to  thrust  his  nose  into  those  premises.  I  have 
seen  these  deadly  reptiles  basking  at  full  length  near  the 
doors,  the  little  dogs  scampering  unliarmed  all  about  them. 
Possibly  a  small  percentage  of  the  baby  dogs  are  given,  a 
willing  sacrifice,  to  these  creatures,  in  consideration  of  the 
protection  which  they  afford  them  against  wolves  and 
other  enemies.  In  the  evening  or  early  morning,  a  dimin- 
utive owl  may  also  be  seen  hopping  through  their  cities, 
who,  when  disturbed,  retreats  into  their  houses.  What 
part  he  fills  in  the  social  circle,  I  have  not  the  least  idea ; 
but  he  is  ever  there.  There  also  dwells  with  them  a  cu- 
rious little  rabbit,  with  legs  so  short  that  any  boy  may 
beat  him  in  a  foot  race.  Knowing  his  weakness  in  point 
of  legs,  he  never  ventures  more  than  a  few  yards  from  his 
particular  domicil,  and  for  this  reason  he  is  very  hard  to 
catch,  keeping  his  ears  always  erect  and  shuffling  away  at 
the  lightest  noise.  He  is  prettier  than  the  Molly  Cotton- 
tail, but  not  half  so  large.  What  his  duty  is  in  the  house- 
hold, is  also  past  finding  out. 

Here  then  is  a  singular  household — the  most  remarkable 
no  doubt  in  the  world.  Imagine  that  it  is  ten  o'clock  at  night, 
and  that  they  are  all  going  to  bed.  First,  old  father  and 
mother  prairie  dog  creep  into  it,  and  store  themselves  snugly 
away  ;  then  the  little  ones  pile  themselves  up  around  them. 
After  a  while  father  and  mother  rabbit  enter  the  same  bed, 
followed  by  a  bevy  of  little  ones  ;  and  when  all  are  sound 


274    TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IK   TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK. 

asleep,  old  mother  rattlesnake,  with  a  swarm  of  little  sons 
and  daughters,  crawls  in  and  coils  up  around  all  the  rest, 
thrusting  her  cold  head  under  the  warm  furs  of  the  dogs 
and  rabbits  !  Is  it  not  a  wonderful  family  ?  In  the  mean- 
time, old  father  rattlesnake  stands  faithful  sentinel  at  the 
door.  As  for  the  owls,  all,  except  the  little  featherless 
babies,  are  out  at  night  catching  grasshoppers  and  lizards, 
and  have  a  whole  bed  to  themselves  in  day  time,  while  the 
others  are  gathering  food  in  the  underground  forests,  or 
having  filled  themselves,  are  frolicking  out  of  doors  in  the 
sunlight.  N^ow,  if  my  reader  is  a  little  boy  or  girl,  would 
not  he  or  she  like  to  pile  into  that  bed  too  ?  It  would 
doubtless  be  so  warm  and  comfortable  ! 

These  cities  are  sometimes  a  day's  ride  from  water,  and 
as  the  household  cannot  live  without  it,  there  can  be  no 
doubt  that  the  subterranean  forests  arc  supplied  with  lakes 
and  streams.  Thus,  how  careful  the  Great  Architect  is  of 
all  his  creatures  !  Thus,  I  have  said  that  I  would  conduct 
the  reader  into  subterranean  forests,  populous  with  life  and 
cool  with  brooks  and  pools,  and  I  have  done  so. 

The  Last  of  Them. 

About  twelve  miles  from  Fort  Concho  we  ride  through 
a  herd  of  cattle,  browsing  in  a  green  nook,  protected  from 
the  moderate  norther  and  misty  rain.  They  are  up  to  their 
bellies  .in  grass,  and  as  fat  as  prairie  dogs.  They  ar*  the 
advance  skirmishers,  and  here  is  their  last  joost.  They 
raise  their  heads  and  look  upon  us  with  a  mingled  expres- 
sion of  wonder  and  stupidity,  as  if  they  would  say  to  us  : 
^'  Poor  things,  are  ye  lost  and  gone  ?  ''  They  are  as  gentle 
as  milk-kine,  and  would  scarcely  move  out  of  their  tracks  to 
let  us  pass. 

Startled. — The  Beautiful  Swak. 

Eiding  quietly  along  the  banks  of  the  blue  Concho,  ad- 
miring the  lovely  valleys,  the  smooth,  green  hills,  and  the 


TWO   TH0USA:N"D   miles   IK   TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK.     275 

misty  mountains  in  the  background,  we  were  suddenly 
startled,  as  if  with  a  noise  of  a  thousand  horses  plunging 
violently  in  the  river.  We  thought  of  an  army  of  Comanches 
plunging  across  to  charge  us,  and  every  man  grasped  his 
gun.  It  continued  some  moments,  and  presently  a  flock 
of  glorious  swaiis  rose  above  the  steep  banks  and  flew  up 
the  river,  sending  forth  a  great  ^^kwonk!"  ^^kwonk!" 
There  were  not  less  than  fifty,  and  the  noise  that  startled 
us  was  produced  by  striking  the  water  with  their  wings  in 
the  effort  to  rise.  In  this  manner  they  go  several  yards  on 
the  water  before  they  clear  it  and  mount  into  the  air  ;  and 
the  uproar  is  very  great. 

Even  the  Texans  do  not  know  what  their  noble  State 
contains.  I  read  an  article  in  the  Texas  Almanac  by  an 
intelligent  gentleman  who  claims  to  know  all  about  the 
birds  of  Texas,  in  which  he  says  the  swan  is  not  found 
in  the  State  except  on  the  coast  in  winter.  Yet  here  he 
is,  in  all  his  pride  of  beauty,  far,  far  from  the  ocean.  As 
we  continued  to  ride  along,  we  could  scarcely  look  into  the 
Concho  without  beholding  the  superb  bird  floating  on  its 
bosom,  and  their  ^'^kwonk  !"  ^^  kwonk  !"  was  continually 
in  the  air.* 

What  a  glorious  bird  is  the  swan  !  White  and  chaste 
as  the  snow-drift — arched  neck,  resting  partly  upon  the 
back,  exposing  the  full,  snowy  bosom, — and  bills,  and 
large  eyes  of  jet  ! 

"  Fair  as  the  bosom  of  the  swan— 
I've  seen  thy  breast  with  pity  heave ; 
And  therefore  love  I  thee,  sweet  Genevieve  1 " 

That  bosom  must  indeed  be  fair,  to  rival  the  bosom 
of  the  swan  ;  for  it  is  beauty's  paragon  :  a  rounded  swell- 
ing out  of  perfect  symmetry  ;  the  emblem  of  heavenly 
health  and  virgin  purity.     When  floating  on  the   water, 

*  The  writer  of  this  note  has  seen  the  swan  in  thousands  on  the  Colorado, 
above  the  settlements  ;  which  river  flows  by  the  door  of  the  gentleman  who  wrote 
the  article  in  the  Texas  Almanac. 


276     TWO   THOUSAKT)   MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK. 

nothing  so  graceful  as  the  swan.  It  is  the  mnsic  and  the 
poetry  of  motion.  It  is  said  that  Jupiter  sought  in  vain, 
in  his  proper  person  as  king  of  the  gods,  to  win  the  love 
of  Leda.  He  at  last  came  in  the  guise  of  the  swan,  and 
she  fell  before  a  beauty  that  excelled  her  own. 

A   Seeene  Picture. — The  Days  of  Old. 

About  noon  we  stood  upon  the  brow  of  a  precipice  or 
parapet  of  stone  that  extended  a  great  distance  to  the 
northwest,  and  below  us  lay  one  of  those  pleasing  scenes 
peculiarly  Texan.  It  was  an  immense  vale  of  level  beauty, 
deep  green,  whose  western  wall  was  beyond  the  vision,  yet 
indicated  by  a  low  range  of  misty  mountains.  Herds  of 
deer  and  antelopes  vvere  feeding  on  the  rich  pasture,  and 
flocks  of  blue  cranes  stalked  slowly  over  it,  apparently  cull- 
ing the  tenderest  morsels.  One  of  these  flocks  was  so  large 
that  it  seemed  a  herd  of  sheep,  but  my  glass  soon  resolved 
them  into  an  army  of  stately  birds.  As  I  beheld  all  this 
and  swept  the  field  in  every  direction  with  my  glass,  I 
thought  I  had  never  witnessed  so  lovely  a  scene.  And  yet 
so  still,  so  serene,  it  seemed  asleep  !  Descending  into  the 
vale,  we  found  a  beautiful  creek  sweeping  along  the  base 
of  the  wall,  over  a  bed  of  solid  stone.  In  a  depression 
some  distance  from  the  creek,  I  found  a  number  of  shells, 
such  as  still  live  in  the  waters  of  Texas.  While  viewing 
the  vale  from  the  cliff  I  said  to  myself  :  **  This  was  a  Lake 
of  the  Days  of  Old  : "  and  these  shells  convinced  me  this 
was  truth.  When  the  vale  is  struck  with  the  plow,  these 
shells  will  be  turned  up  everywhere."  * 

This  lake  existed  within  the  present  geological  day  ; 
and  if  its  waters  were  such  as  now  flash  in  the  beautiful 
Concho,  what  glorious  expanse  of  liquid  beauty  it  was  ! 
And  there  were  none  to  love  it  ?  There  were  flocks  of 
swans,  like  white  spirits  of  the  blest,  disporting  upon  its 

*  Uniofi. 


TWO   THOUSAND   3IILES   IX   TEXAS   ON"   HOHSEBACK.     277 

peaceful  surface  ;  and  how  do  we  know  but  that  the 
hierarchs  who  witnessed  creation,  lingered  upon  its  banks 
and  bathed  in  its  pearly  waters  ? 

"  Like  Maia's  son  he  stood  and  shook  his  plumes 
That  heavenly  fragrance  filled  the  circuit  wide." 

The  Concho  has  cut  its  way  through  this  lake-shore 
of  stone  near  its  eastern  extremity,  and  the  channel  seems 
to  show  that  it  was  first  by  slow  erosion  and  lastly  by  vio- 
lent disruption,  or  a  sudden  giving  away  of  the  wall  from 
the  pressure  of  the  water.  There  was  no  doubt  a  beautiful 
cascade  here  in  the  days  of  old,  nearly  as  tall  as  Niagara, 
but  far  less  mightv  in  volume.*  The  vale  is  all  rich, 
very  rich. 

Al^TELOPES. 

We  encamped  in  the  lake  bed,  a  dozen  miles  from  the 
eastern  shore,  on  the  bank  of  the  Concho,  in  a  small 
thicket  of  mesquite  brush,  having  made  some  thirty  miles 
since  morning.  It  was  more  than  an  hour  before  dark ; 
and  after  turning  my  horse  on  the  luxuriant  grass,  I 
walked  off  alone  toward  a  herd  of  antelopes  that  were 
feeding  a  half  mile  up  the  vale.  As  I  approached  them 
they  showed  disturbance  by  huddling  together,  and  then 
bounded  a  hundred  yards  further  away,  when  they  stopped 
to  gaze  at  me.  I  then  stopped  myself,  and  the  pretty 
animals  seemed  to  have  their  curiosity  greatly  excited; 
some  of  the  boldest  advancing  a  good  way  toward  me, 
then  stopping,  occasionally  bowing  at  me  and  pawing  the 
ground.  Observing  the  interest  they  were  taking  in  me, 
I  lifted  the  skirts  of  my  coat  over  my  head,  and  bending 
.the  body  forward  in  a  stooping  way,  began  to  advance 
upon  them,  now  veering  to  the  right,  now  to  the  left,  like 

*  There  is  the  bed  of  a  large  ancient  lake  above  the  Marble  Falls  on  the 
Colorado,  which  was  drained  olf  bj'  the  Colorado  slowly  cutting  its  way  through 
a  mountain  of  marble.  This  was  also  in  the  present  Geological  Day — shells  of 
the  TJnio  being  very  numerous  in  the  ancient  bed 


278     TWO   THOUSAKD   MILES   IK   TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK. 

one  that  is  well  drunken, — they  all  the  time  gazing  at  me 
with  great  amazement,  backing  occasionally  a  little  dis- 
tance further  off.  Finally,  when  within  a  few  hundred 
yards  of  them  I  stood  still,  and  bowed  at  them  repeatedly, 
which  they  seemed  to  regard  as  a  very  nnaccountable 
transaction — looking  first  at  me  and  then  at  one  another, 
and  snuffing  the  air  in  the  manner  of  a  goat.  I  believe  if 
I .  had  remained  in  this  position  they  would  have  burst 
with  curiosity,  or  charged  deliberately  upon  me,  to  solve 
the  riddle  of  what  I  was;  but  observing  that  the  sun  was 
setting,  I  drew  a  bead  with  my  rifle  upon  one  of  the 
boldest,  and  firing,  it  fell.  It  was  a  tender  nanny,  but 
full-grown,  and  in  admirable  order.  I  cut  the  ribs  out  of 
each  flank  and  a  foot  of  the  spinal  column  from  the  rump, 
and  while  thus  engaged,  the  others,  which  had  retired  but 
little  distance,  showed  more  sign  of  unsatisfied  curiosity 
than  ever.  I  think  I  might  have  destroyed  half  the  flock 
before  seriously  alarming  them  or  satisfying  their  curiosity. 
When  I  got  back  to  camp,  the  two  soldiers  had  a  smart 
fire  of  mesquite  brush,  before  which  the  game  was  roasted, 
dripping  all  the  while  with  gravy.  It  was  sweet,  juicy, 
tender,  excellent.  It  ate  mucii  like  the  best,  juiciest  mut- 
ton, improved  by  the  addition  of  a  game  flavor. 

While  the  meat  and  coffee  were  cooking  I  told  my  ad- 
venture to  the  soldiers,  one  of  whom  said  :  ^'  Of  all  fools 
in  the  world,  antelopes  is  the  biggest.  If  you  try  to  creep 
on  one,  you  can't  get  near  enough  to  kill  him  with  a  rifle 
cannon.  But  just  throw  an  old  red  blanket  over  your 
shoulder,  and  step  right  out  on  the  prairie  where  they  can 
see  you,  and  they'll  come  running  to  you  from  every  which 
way.     You  can  shoot  'em  down  like  dogs." 

These  animals  seem  compounded  of  the  deer,  sheep  and 
goat,  with  strong  points  of  resemblance  to  each.  They  are 
larger  than  a  deer  and  more  heavily  built,  have  the  horns 
and  head  of  a  goat  without  his  beard,   and  the  general 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IK   TEXAS   02^   HORSEBACK.     279 

bodily  appearance  of  a  goat,  though  they  carry  their  heads 
erect  like  a  deer.  They  are  all  of  a  reddish  color  with  a 
large  white  spot  on  each  flank,  white  belly,  and  short, 
stumpy  tail  like  a  deer's.  They  run  but  indiiferently  well, 
and  their  gait  is  precisely  that  of  a  goat.  The  cow-boys  on 
horseback  often  catch  them  with  lariats,  when  they  bawl 
very  like  a  goat.  They  are  easily  tamed,  but  make  too 
affectionate  pets.  They  will  stay  continually  about  you, 
rubbing  you  witli  their  heads,  and  are  liable  to  butt  you 
like  a  goat,  out  of  pure  friendship.  They  are  peculiarly  a 
prairie  animal  ;  no  man,  I  think,  ever  having  seen  one, 
in  the  wild  state,  in  a  forest,  or  even  on  the  edge  of  one. 
Indeed,  they  seem  to  regard  forests  with  singular  aversion, 
as  if  they  thought  them  the  abode  of  the  wicked.  Hence, 
they  are  never  seen  except  on  the  almost  boundless  plains, 
where  they  are  numerous.  Their  coating  is  a  mixture  of 
that  of  the  deer  and  sheep,  with  a  peculiarity  that  is  its 
own  :  long,  coarse  straight  hairs,  hollow  like  a  goose-quill, 
which  break  to  pieces  with  the  slightest  handling,  as  if 
rotten  ;  and  under  this  comes  a  thin  coating  of  fine  wool. 
The  long  hairs,  besides  breaking  to  pieces  so  readily,  very 
easily  come  out  of  the  flesh,  and  one  could  hardly  go 
through  a  forest  or  thicket  without  coming  out  well  shorn. 
This  may  be  a  reason  why  he  so  hates  the  timber.  Their 
flesh  is  much  more  like  mutton  than  kid  or  venison. 

After  supper  we  put  the  fire  out,  lest  Indians  might  be 
attracted  to  waylay  us  in  our  sleep  ;  and  though  the  night 
was  raw  and  chilly,  I  slept  well  in  my  blanket  in  the  tall 
grass  in  the  brush. 


III. 


SouvENiES. — The  Gorge  of  the  Shadow  of  Death. 

AFTER  a  short  ride,  the  Jake  bed  terminated  against  an 
abrupt  elevation,  running  north  and  south.  This  was 
the  western  shore  of  the  lake.  Up  'this  elevation  we  rode 
through  a  dark,  natural  pass,  walled  in  by  rock  on  either 
side,  with  numerous  grizzly  and  cavernous  recesses.  This 
spot  is  known  far  and  wide  in  Texas  as  Dead  Man's  Hol- 
low ;  and  from  its  looks  alone,  it  surely  deserves  its  dismal 
name.  An  unseen  enemy  could  here  glut  his  vengeance; 
and  being  attacked,  there  is  little  hope  of  escape.  The 
whole  place  is  suggestive  of  murder,  and  the  wind  as  it 
sighs  through  the  hollow  or  shrieks  through  the  crevices, 
seems  to  say — ^^Take  care  !"  The  raven  shakes  his  letif- 
erous  plumes  about  you,  and  seems  to  look  into  your  eyes 
and  say — '^Take  care!"  And  there  is  no  telling  how 
many  have  gone  to  the  last  account  from  this  spot.  Fif- 
teen graves  mark  the  wayside,  all  with  crosses  bearing 
the  ominous  word — ^'Unknown."  These  were  all  mur- 
dered where  they  lay,  either  by  Indians  or  highwaymen. 
One  of  these  murders  was  not  long  since.  Two  young  men 
were  travelling  to  Mexico  with  money  to  buy  mares.  When 
in  this  pass,  while  conversing  probably  about  the  graves 
by  the  roadside,  one  of  them  drew  a  pistol  and  shot  the 
other  dead,  and  taking  all  his  money,  hurried  away,  leav- 
ing his  companion  on  the  spot  where  he  slew  him.  Some 
soldiers  from  Concho,  going  the  same  way,  soon  found  the 
dead  body,  and  recognizing  in  it  one  of  two  travellers  who 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   12^   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.     281 

had  stopped  at  the  post  the  previous  night,  they  pursued 
the  murderer  and  captured  him.  •  He  is  now  in  the  Texas 
penitentiary  for  life.  Of  the  others,  1  learned  no  tra- 
dition. They  are  probably  men  whose  disappearance  will 
forever  remain  a  mystery  to  their  friends.  Besides  these, 
perhaps  many  more  have  been  murdered  on  the  same  spot, 
whose  bodies  were  concealed  by  the  murderers  or  dragged 
away  by  wild  beasts.  It  is  impossible  to  pass  over  this 
grim  spot  without  a  shudder  and  a  dread.  The  drivers  of 
the  El  Paso  mail-coaches  approach  it  with  terror,  and  enjoy 
a  relief  when  they  have  cleared  it.  It  is  the  Gorge  of  the 
Shadow  of  Death. 

Amazement. — The  American  Bison. 

Eising  out  of  Dead  Man's  Hollow  upon  a  lofty,  rolling 
plain,  locked  in  on  the  north  and  west  by  a  beautiful  chain 
of  mountains,  a  scene  of  amazement  was  before  us.  As  far 
as  the  eye  could  reach,  almost  every  foot  of  ground  was 
hidden  by  a  black,  moving  mass,  and  a  noise  came  up  to 
us  like  the  sound  of  millions  of  tramping  feet.  There  was 
an  odor  of  musk  in  the  air.  We  stopped  and  gazed  upon 
this  scene  of  wonder.  The  edge  of  the  great  mass  was  not 
more  than  two  hundred  yards  off,  and  it  lay  athwart  our 
way.  It  is  no  exaggeration  to  say  that  twenty  to  thirty 
thousand  buffaloes  were  before  us.  They  seemed  number 
without  number.  As  we  moved  upon  them  those  nearest 
us  commenced  moving  to  the  north,  pushing  those  before 
them,  and  suddenly  the  whole  mass  was  in  lively  motion. 
The  plain  trembled  beneath  their  feet  and  emitted  a  roar 
like  continuous  distant  thunder.  From  the  other  side  of 
the  Concho  and  out  of  the  valley  they  came  surging,  all 
'moving  to  the  north.  Those  coming  out  of  the  valley 
completely  surrounded  us,  and  for  an  hour  we  rode  slowly 
in  the  midst  of  the  herd,  which  separated  and  left  only  a 
little  elliptical  circle  about  us,  often  but  a  few  yards  in  ex- 


282     TWO   THOUSAND    MILES   IJ5    TEXAS   OK   HOKSEBACK. 

tent,  so  that  we  could  have  popped  the  great  animals  with 
a  coach  whip.  I  sometimes  felt  alarmed  lest  those  pushing 
behind  would  force  the  front  ones  upon  us.  Our  horses 
were  at  first  greatly  excited,  but  after  a  while  stared  upon 
the  scene  as  if  they  enjoyed  it.  When  the  pressure  was 
over  I  could  restrain  myself  no  more,  but  drawing  my  rifle, 
brought  down  six,  in  probably  not  so  many  minutes.  The 
soldiers  did  not  open  fire,  saying  that  one  battery  was 
enough  to  glut  us  with  slaughter.  And  indeed,  it  was  so. 
After  the  great  army  had  passed  to  the  north  beyond 
the  chain  of  mountains,  and  I  beheld  the  noble  animals 
stretched  on  the  plain,  the  blood  smoking  from  their  nos- 
trils and  cruel  holes  in  their  bodies,  I  felt  remorse  that  I 
had  been  guilty  of  a  wanton  and  unmanly  wrong.  Of 
tons  of  quivering  flesh  around  us  we  took  less  than  a  hun- 
dred pounds,  mostly  from  the  rumps  of  a  fat  heifer,  leaving 
the  rest  for  the  ravens  and  wild  beasts.  One  spectacle, 
particularly,  made  me  ashamed  of  my  barbarity.  I  had 
severely  hurt  a  noble  fellow,  who  looked  as  if  he  might  be 
a  prince  of  tlie  herd,  and  as  he  staggered  with  the  wound, 
his  companions  nearest  him  gathered  closely  around  him, 
as  if  to  support  his  tottering  body  and  help  him  out  of  the 
reach  of  danger.  This  scene  was  so  affecting  that  I  stood 
still  to  watch  it,  and  could  not  be  mistaken  that  it  was  a 
conscious  act  of  the  buffaloes,  to  help  their  stricken  com- 
rade. They  were  willing  themselves  to  undergo  danger 
if  they  could  help  their  friend.* 

It  is  no  sport  to  hunt  these  animals,  lordly  in  appear- 
ance and  gigantic  as  they  are,  when  encountered  in  these 
vast  herds.  It  is  nauseating  slaughter,  not  a  whit  more 
inspiriting  than  to  walk  into  a  flock  of  unresisting  seals  on 
shore  and  crush  their  heads  with  clubs,  or  beating  pigeons- 
from  their  roosts  with  a  pole.     You   can   stand  in  your 

*  Any  one  who  has  much  hunted  the  huffaloes  has  doubtless  often  witnessed 
similar  scenes. 


UNIVERSITY 

OF 

TWO   THTOB3»B^=^ILES   I:N"   TEXAS   0^   HORSEBACK.     283 

tracks  while  the  great  herd  is  thundering  by  you,  and  shoot 
them  down  until  the  soul  sickens  at  the  work.  All  that 
you  have  to  guard  against  is  being  tramped  to  death  by  the 
surging  mass,  against  their  will ;  and  there  is  little  danger 
of  this  if  you  are  mounted  on  a  manageable  horse,  for  they 
will  always,  if  they  can,  divide  and  leave  a  vacant  spot 
about  you.  Those  who  write  of  this  animal  often  enter- 
tain us  with  fearful  battles  and  hairbreadth  escapes,  but  I 
believe  that  nearly  all  of  this  is  fancy ;  though  I  have  no 
doubt  that  if  an  old  bull  should  be  wounded  and  left  be- 
hind by  his  herd,  he  would  turn  upon  his  persecutor  and 
give  as  good  an  account  of  himself  as  he  could.  I  consider 
a  herd  of  wild  Texas  beeves  as  infinitely  more  terrible. 

And  yet  what  a  formidable  and  ferocious  aspect  he 
bears  !  There  is  not  a  more  formidable  looking  creature  in 
existence  than  an  old  buffalo  bull.  He  seems  a  great  mass 
of  terror,  always  prepared  for  scenes  of  conflict  and  danger. 
His  monstrous  size,  the  great  hump  on  his  shoulder,  his 
enormous  head  and  neck  enveloped  in  a  dense  mass  of 
shaggy  hair  and  beard,  his  eyes  blazing  amid  a  tangled  mass 
of  dark  locks — all  make  him  as  grizzly  and  ferocious  to  the 
eye  as  it  is  possible  to  conceive.  A  flock  of  rampant  lions 
would  certainly  look  puny  by  the  side  of  these  monstrous 
beasts.  And  yet,  he  is  so  harmless  and  inoffensive  !  A 
mere  boo-hoo  or  a  clap  of  the  hands  will  divest  him  of  all 
his  terror.  He  is  the  true  Quaker  gun  of  nature,  whose 
grizzly  aspect  should  excite  more  our  pity  than  our  fear. 

There  is  another  point  in  which  I  suspect  buffalo  ap- 
pearances to  be  deceptive.  I  do  not  believe  him  to  be 
nearly  so  prodigious  as  he  appears.  His  long,  shaggy  hair 
makes  him  seem  much  bigger  than  he  really  is  ;  just  as  I 
have  seen  a  lady's  lap-dog  that  looked  portly,  dwindle  to  a 
mere  rat  in  size  on  being  shorn.  So,  if  the  buffalo  were 
shorn  of  his  profusion  of  locks,  on  his  head,  neck,  shoul- 
ders and  belly,  he  would  certainly  be  greatly  reduced.     I 


284    TWO   THOUSAND   MILFS   IJS"   TEXAS   OK   HOESEBACK. 

doubt  much  if  any  buffalo  will  turn  fifteen  hundred  pounds 
of  true  carcass,  or  yield  as  much  flesh  as  hundreds  of  cattle 
slaughtered  in  our  abattoirs  every  day.  In  color  they  are 
tawny  like  the  lion,  and  there  is  a  lighter  and  a  darker 
shade  observed  among  them.  Their  tails  are  like  a  lion's, 
with  a  black  tuft  at  the  end  ;  their  eyes  a  brilliant,  melt- 
ing black ;  their  horns  black,  stout,  keen  at  the  point, 
enormously  wide  apart  and  almost  straight.  In  regard  to 
its  flesh  as  a  food,  there  cannot  be  two  opinions.  It  is 
as  juicy  and  tender  as  stall-fed  beef,  and  it  is  better, 
in  that  it  has  no  flavor  of  the  stall.  The  flavor  of  game  is 
about  it,  and  of  all  game  animals,  perhaps  it  is  the  best. 
It  is  astonishing  what  quantities  one  can  consume  of  it, 
without  feeling  oppressed  by  the  load.  For  some  time  I 
ate  five  or  six  pounds  a  day,  not  only  without  inconveni- 
ence, but  felt  all  the  better  for  it,  and  had  no  suspicion 
that  I  was  a  glutton  ;  and  this  when  it  was  cooked  in  the 
most  crude  manner,  on  a  stick  before  the  fire,  with  no  con- 
diments but  a  little  salt.  One  of  my  soldier  companions 
thought  he  had  eaten  ten  pounds  at  one  meal.  I  cannot 
imagine  a  more  savory  dish  than  a  choice  piece  of  buffalo 
meat  prepared  by  a  skilful  cook.  But  this  applies  only  to 
a  well  chosen  animal.  The  old  bulls  are  unfit  to  be  eaten, 
tasting  gummy,  coarse  and  saliferous,  and  leave  an  unpleas- 
ant odor  of  urine  in  the  mouth.  This  is  especially  the  case 
at  certain  seasons,  when  they  are  chiefly  engaged  in  bellow- 
ing on  the  plains  and  pawing  with  their  feet.  One  of  my 
soldiers  said  that  while  out  with  a  hungry  scout,  they  en- 
countered and  killed  a  solitary  old  bull  in  a  lonesome  valley. 
They  ate  him  heartily,  in  spite  of  his  disagreeable  flavor ; 
''  but,"  added  he,  ^^my  mouth  tasted  and  my  whole  body 
smelt  like  a  peach-orchard  boor  for  a  week."  This  is  like 
the  condition  of  Caliban,  who  after  having  been  wallowed 
in  a  stable,  protested  :  *^  I  do  smell  all  horse,  at  which  my 
nose  is  in  great  indignation." 


TWO   THOUSAND    MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON    HORSEBACK.     285 

They  devote  the  months  of  August  and  September  to 
multiplication  ;  and  then  these  vast  plains  roar  night  and 
day  with  the  thunder  of  the  bulls,  who  engage  in  terrible 
battles  with  each  other.  At  such  seasons  the  old  bulls, 
no  longer  able  to  bear  a  good  front  in  such  encounters, 
retire  by  themselves  in  secluded  valle3^s  and  gorges, — lis- 
tening no  doubt  with  melancholy  interest  to  the  bellowing 
of  their  more  lusty  brethren,  as  superannuated  veterans  on 
the  retired  list  may  hear  the  roar  of  battle  afar  off.  Their 
young  are*  brought  forth  in  April  or  May,  usually  a  male 
and  female  at  a  birth.  When  captured  young  they  are 
very  readily  tamed.  A  friend  of  mine  reared  a  heifer  and 
a  bull,  captured  when  suckling  calves.  They  became  so 
fond  of  him  and  his  family  that  they  could  hardly  be  kept 
out  of  the  house,  and  followed  his  people  about  like  dogs. 
AVhen  they  ^rew  older  they  contracted  the  habit  of  knock- 
ing down  his  fences,  invading  his  gardens  and  fields  ;  and 
not  being  able  to  restrain  them,  he  concluded  that  their 
beef  was  better  than  their  company,  and  slew  them.  He 
and  his  neighbors  declared  that  they  had  never  eaten  such 
excellent  meat.  I  have  never  known  the  buffalo  to  pro- 
duce hybrids  with  the  domestic  cattle  ;  but  I  have  little 
doubt  that  it  is  practicable,  and  that  such  a  cross  would 
work  an  admirable  improvement  of  our  beef  stock.* 

A  Glance  into  the  Past  and  Future. 

As  this  vast  army  went  thundering  to  the  north,  dis- 
appearing behind  the  blue  chain  of  mountains,  I  looked 
upon  them  with  a  sad  interest.  I  thought  of  what  they 
have  been  and  what  they  soon  will  be,  and  beheld  in  them 

*  Since  the  trip  of  our  traveller,  the  buffalo  has  covered  the  plains  of  North- 
west Texas  in  such  herds  as  have  not  been  known  before,  at  least  b)"^  the  white 
man.  They  broke  into  the  Post  gardens  at  FortMcKavett,  the  officers  shooting 
them  from  the  windows  of  their  quarters.  During  the  winter  of  1876-7,  hun- 
dreds of  thousands  were  slaughtered  for  their  hides  and  tongues  alone,  and 
many  from  wantonness. 


286     TWO   THOUSA:t^D    MILES   IN   TEXAS   02!^   HORSEBACK. 

a  great  race  rapidly  marching  ftway  into  the  shadowy 
depths,  out  of  sight  and  out  of  memory  of  the  living. 
And  along  with  them  marches  another  race,  whose  destiny 
is  bound  up  with  theirs.  Time  was  when  the  buffalo 
ranged  over  the  American  continent,  from  the  Atlantic 
to  the  Rocky  Mountains  :  he  is  now  confined  to  a  territory 
that  is  daily  contracting  its  boundaries.  His  enemies  are 
increasing  upon  him  on  every  hand,  and  a  hundred  years 
hence  I  doubt  if  there  will  be  a  single  specimen  of  his  race 
on  the  continent.  Within  a  short  period,  those  who  come 
after  us  will  look  upon  his  bleaching  bones  with  as  much 
curiosity  as  we  now  look  upon  the  fossil  relics  of  the 
mastodon  and  mammoth.  And  it  is  not  the  advancing 
white  man  alone  that  is  hedging  him  around  with  destruc- 
tion. Nature  has  placed  the  seal  of  doom  upon  his  brow, 
and  moves  to  his  destruction  with  as  certain  .tread  as  the 
white  man,  if  not  so  rapidly.  The  buffalo,  like  the  ante- 
lope and  the  prairie  dog,  is  the  son  of  the  prairie  :  the 
broad,  sunny  plains  are  his  beneficent  mother  :  the  shaded 
forests  are  not  his,  and  he  loves  them  not.  Condemned 
to  them,  he  would  soon  die  of  melancholy,  if  not  of  starva- 
tion :  as'the  albatross  would  soon  die  if  transported  whither 
he  could  not  hear  the  multitudinous  voice  of  the  sea  and 
ride  on  its  foamy  billows.  In  time  the  American  conti- 
nent has  all  been  a  great  prairie  ;  and  as  the  forests  ad- 
vanced, the  buffalo  retired  before  their  gloomy  grandeur. 
The  forests  are  still  advancing,  slowly  and  steadily, 
step  by  step,  to  the  grand  music  of  the  centuries,  and  will 
at  last  push  their  great  columns  to  the  shores  of  the 
Pacific.  In  this  condition  of  things,  the  buffalo  would  not 
live  if  he  could.  Life  would  be  a  burden  to  him  without 
his  boundless  prairies,  and  death  a  welcome  relief  to  his 
sickened  heart  and  wearied  bones.  When  Nature  has  set 
its  seal  of  doom  upon  a  race,  death  becomes  to  it  an  aspira- 
tion, and  the  paths  that  lead  to  extinction  are  easy  aud 


TWO   THOUSAKD   MILES   11^   TEXAS   01^   HORSEBACK.     287 

desirable.     It  is  euthanasia.     Thus  lN"ature  executes  the 
sentences  of  her  law  in  love. 

As  I  beheld  the  last  black  line  of  the  great  thundering 
mass  sink  behind  the  mountains,  I  thought  it  might  be  the 
last  I  should  ever  see  of  this  departing  race,  and  I  spoke 
an  involuntary  farewell — 

"Vale,  vale,  longum  vale  !" 

Nature's  volume  in  which  their  history  is  written  is 
nearly  closed,  and  a  new  Epoch  dawns  over  their  land  from 
the  east, bringing  a  total  change  of  scenes  and  conditions. 

The  Mourxer  by  the  Hearse. 

I  have  said  that  the  Indian  is  following  this  funeral 
march  into  the  Shadowy  Depths.  He  lingers  but  a  little 
behind,  and  is  drawn  irresistibly  onward.  It  is  the  fascina- 
tion of  impending  doom  leading  him  down  great  declivities 
''  to  shores  where  all  is  dumb  ;  "  a  fascination  that  he  can- 
not resist  if  he  would.  The  Indian  cannot  live  without 
the  buffalo,  any  more  than  he  can  without  the  sun.  From 
him  he  procures  his  food,  his  raiment,  the  material  with 
which  he  covers  his  cabin,  the  shield  that  protects  him 
from  the  arrow  of  his  enemy,  and  often  even  the  fuel  with 
which  he  warms  himself  aiid  cooks  his  food.  Take  the 
buffalo  away  from  him,  and  you  take  his  all,  making  him  a 
miserable  outcast,  shivering  and  starving.  It  will  force  a 
total  change  in  his  conditions  of  life,  which  would  of  itself 
speedily  work  his  extinction.  When  the  last  buffalo  is 
gone,  there  will  be  nothing  left  of  the  Korth  American 
Indian,  save  a  few  dejected  hangers-on  about  the  oat- 
skirts  of  civilization  ;  listless,  and  silently  awaiting  the 
impending  doom  which  they  know  is  above  them,  casting 
its  shadow  into  their  hearts.  Like  the  last  of  the  buffaloes, 
deat?i  will  be  to  them  a  poetry  and  aspiration,  and  a  sweet 


288     two   THOUSAJS^D   31ILES   liST   TEXAS   OX    HORSEBACK. 

boon  :  because  thej  are  walking  the  paths  that  N'ature  has 
made  to  lead  them  to  the  shore. 

Does  not  every  Indian  know  of  this  impending  doom, 
and  feel  the  shadow  upon  his  heart  ?  It  may  be  that  all 
do  not  comprehend  it,  bat  I  believe  there  are  none  who 
do  not  feel  that  there  is  a  shadow  upon  them  which  no 
sunlight  can  dispel.  There  is  a  strange  funeral  dirge 
whose  notes  continually  break  upon  his  ears  during  the 
day  and  startle  his  slumbers  at  night ;  a  sweet  note  of 
melody  from  the  eternal  spheres,  as  sweet  as  it  is  melan- 
choly. They  may  not  all  know  that  this  is  the  Syren, 
Fate  ;  but  many  of  them  do. 

I  believe  I  never  saw  an  Indian  even  of  the  least  exalted 
tribe,  in  whose  countenance  I  could  not  detect  a  trace  of 
melancholy  ;  and  in  many  this  spirit  was  conspicuously 
present.  In  my  youth  I  knew  the  noble  old  Placido,  chief 
of  the  Tonkaways.  This  man  possessed  a  grand  soul  and 
a  great  heart,  and  of  him  nature  had  written  in  every 
lineament:  ''This  is  a  man?''  There  was  a  sweet,  sad 
gentleness  about  this  old  warrior,  which  could  not  fail  to 
attract  many  observers.  He  seemed  a  prophet  contempla- 
ting the  future  while  he  spake  of  the  indifferent  things 
around  him  ;  and  it  was  the  future  that  threw  the  strange, 
sweet  shadows  about  him.  It  was  the  shadow  of  the  doom 
of  him  and  his  race  reaching  down  into  his  heart,  and  the 
old  man  knew  it.  He  knew  that  the  Great  Spirit  had 
called  for  His  red  children,  and  that  they  must  depart 
from  the  earth,  and  sink  into  the  great  Ocean  of  Forget- 
fulness,  leaving  not  even  a  waif  on  the  surface  to  float  to 
the  shore  and  tell  that  the  Tonkaway  had  lived.  He  saw 
his  own  tribe  passing  away  until  scai^cely  a  hundi'ed  were 
left  of  the  thousands  he  had  led.  When  Capt.  Jack  was 
informed  that  he  must  die,  he  beard  it  unmoved,  and  said  : 
''My  Indian  heart  is  dead,  and  I  do  not  mind  to  die." 
Those  five  words — "My  Indian  heart  is  dead" — tell  the 


TWO   THOUSAND    MILES   IK   TEXAS   02^"   HORSEBACK.     289 

whole  story.  The  shadow  of  the  doom  of  his  race  had 
chilled  the  vital  power,  and  made  death  a  dream  and 
aspiration. 

Per  Contra. 

How  different  the  conquering  race,  before  whom  the 
Indian  and  buffalo  are  dwindling  away,  and  to  whose  con- 
quests even  Nature  lends  her  auxiliary  hands  !  'No  shadow 
of  doom  upon  that  brow,  no  subsidence  of  the  vital  power 
there  !  Fortitude  and  daring  burst  up  within  that  heart, 
like  the  strong  waters  of  a  big  fountain,  and  Nature  spurs 
it  with  the  ambition  of  a  higher  destiny.  The  volume  of 
its  history  is  but  just  opened,  and  perhaps  its  greatest 
achievements  yet  await  it.  May  not  even  I,  in  this  vast 
wilderness,  the  home  of  the  buffalo  and  Indian,  with  but 
two  by  my  side,  be  an  unconscious  prospecting  courier  of 
the  great  conquering  hosts  that  linger  a  little  behind — sent 
forward  to  blaze  the  way  ? 
13 


IV. 


A  Speculation  ij^  which  there  is  Moi^ey. 

"TT'T'E  rode  over  a  prairie  three  miles  in  width  and  an 
VV  uncertain  number  in  length,  composed  of  white, 
sharp  sand,  with  a  thin  coating  of  wiry  grass.  It  is  a  sin- 
gular geological  phenomenon,  and  the  first  sand-prairie  I 
have  seen  in  Texas.  The  stampeding  buffaloes  had  much 
torn  it  up,  and  our  horses  sank  to  the  fetlock.  "Now/' 
said  Jones  Johns,  "  if  I  only  had  this  sand-prairie  near 
San  Antonio,  I  would  quit  soldiering  and  grow  rich — sell- 
ing sand  to  the  plasterers  and  for  the  streets  and  yards. 
The  San  Antonians  go  twelve  miles  to  get  their  sand,  and 
pay  a  big  price  for  it  at  that.  Ugh  !  it  just  makes  my 
mouth  water  to  look  at  this  sand.  If  I  could  only  move 
this  prairie  to  San  Antonio  ! "  I  suggested  to  him  that 
perhaps  he  would  do  better  by  buying  the  prairie  and  let- 
ting it  stay  where  it  is;  "for,"  said  I,  "by  moving  the 
prairie  to  San  Antonio  all  at  once,  there  would  be  a  glut 
in  the  market  and  sand  would  fall.  This  is  probably  the 
only  sand  for  miles  and  miles  ;  and  this  region  must  soon 
fill  with  people  who  will  want  sand  for  their  mortar.  This 
prairie  will  then  become  a  mine  of  gold  to  the  owner, 
who  will  have  naught  to  do  but  sit  on  the  road-side  and 
sell  sand.  Railroads  will  be  built,  and  he  can  then  open 
a  sand-store  in  San  Antonio,  becoming  a  great  merchant. 
It  is  one  of  the  greatest  opportunities  of  the  age."  He 
looked  eagerly  at  the  sand,  and  said  :  "  It  is  so !  If  E 
survive  this  'venter,  I  intend  to   buy  this  tract.      I'll 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IK   TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK.     291 

get  a  land-warrant  at  two-bits  an  acre  and  locate  it 
here." 

"  Don't  be  in  a  hurry  ! " 

^^No  —  don't  break  your  neck/'  said  John  Powell; 
^^  for  if  a  million  of  men  were  to  come  here  to  buy  land, 
they'd  every  one  cuss  this  spot.  They  wouldn't  have  it  as 
a  gracious  gift." 

^^That  is  so,"  said  Jones  Johns.  ^^  Men's  foresight 
ain't  as  good  as  their  hind-sight.  But  I'm  going  to  save 
up  my  money,  and  right  here  will  I  stretch  my  tent." 

This  sand  is  clean  quartz  grit,  and  its  presence  here  is 
phenomenal. 

CoKCHo  Sprikgs. — Et  Tu  Brute  ! 

Arrived  at  Concho  Springs,  the  apparent  head  of  the 
Concho,  sixty  miles  from  Concho  Post.  It  is  one  of  the 
loneliest  looking  spots  on  earth — a  depression  in  a  bound- 
less plain,  into  which  numerous  ravines  debouch.  Chains 
of  low  mountains  west  and  north  shut  out  the  incognita 
beyond.  It  is  more  silent  than  the  Arctic  regions  beyond 
the  Esquimaux  line,  where  the  beating  of  the  heart  in  the 
bosom  is  all  that  is  heard  ;  that  is  to  say,  that  it  would  be 
if  it  were  not  for  the  ominous  raven  that  shrieks  above  us 
and  disturbs  the  air  with  his  funereal  wings.  We  dis- 
mount and  picket  our  horses  on  the  grass  in  silence,  look- 
ing curiously  around  and  feeling  instinctively  that  we 
should  not  separate  too  far  apart.  The  Concho,  which 
had  been  rapidly  dwindling,  is  here  a  mere  brook,  rising 
out  of  the  earth  in  two  or  three  bubbling  fountains.  As 
we  leaned  over  the  fountain  to  fill  our  cups,  w^e  beheld  a 
number  of  moccasin  tracks  recently  made.  We  looked  at 
them  and  then  looked  at  one  another.  Presently  Jones 
Johns  picked  up  an  arrow,  with  a  keen,  barbed  point  of 
steel,  that  had  evidently  just  dropped  from  a  hostile 
quiver.     We  examined  it  with  a  grim  smile,  knowing  that 


292     TWO   THOUSAXD   MILES   IN   TEXAS   OX   HORSEBACK. 

it  was  of  no  use  to  turn  pale.  Johns  broke  the  silence  : 
'^  I  smell  something  like  a  pole-cat.  That's  the  way  Injuns 
smells.  I  tell  you  they  are  clost  about."  We  discussed 
what  we  should  do,  and  concluded  we  were  as  safe  here  as 
anywhere  within  sixty  miles,  and  therefore  would  rest  in 
peace  and  calmly  take  whatever  fortune  might  send  us — 
feeling  that  if  we  should  fall,  being  innocent,  we  would 
alight  on  a  silken  couch.  We  reclined  on  the  grass  and 
ate  our  mid-day  meal,  our  guns  by  our  sides  and  our  eyes 
on  the  watch. 

EETR0SPECTi0]sr. — Artesiai!^  Wells. 

This  whole  Concho  country  at  no  remote  day  will  sup- 
port a  great  population.  It  is  a  country  yet  unfinished,  on 
which  the  hands  of  the  Architect  are  still  engaged  in  bring- 
ing it  to  the  perfection  he  intends  for  it.  It  is  embryonic ; 
and  yet,  in  its  incomplete  condition,  it  is  a  grand  country. 
What  will  it  not  be,  when  creative  energy  has  put  on  the 
last  stroke  !  Besides  its  delicious  climate  and  thick  car- 
peting of  all  the  richest  grasses  of  Texas,  it  is  so  nearly  all 
fertile  that  poor  spots  are  rare ;  and  this  not  only  of  the 
valleys,  but  of  the  rolling  highlands  and  lofty  table  lands. 
The  soil  has  been  derived  from  calcareous,  gypseous  and 
magnesian  rocks,  and  so  loamy  is  it  that  it  would  be  a 
work  of  love  to  the  plow  to  slip  through  it.  There  is 
probably  no  region  on  earth  where  the  small  grains  would 
yield  larger  crops  or  of  better  quality.  Wheat  would  here 
revel  to  its  most  splendid  development. 

This  region  wants  trees  for  the  unshaded  plains,  more 
running  streams,  and  more  rain.  These  will  come  in  time 
from  bountiful  nature  ;  but  in  order  that  this  noble  region 
may  not  so  long  be  unpossessed  and  unenjoyed,  man  should 
encourage  and  assist  nature.  As  for  the  valleys,  the  work 
is  easy  to  give  them  abundant  vegetation  and  moisture  to 
sustain  it ;  but  there  are  wide  spaces  so  destitute  of  water 


TWO  THOUSAI^D   MILES   1^5"   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.     293 

that  a  bird  would  hardly  dare  fly  over  them  without  taking 
his  canteen.  The  rain -fall  on  these  arid  scopes  is  barely 
sufficient  to  support  the  hardy  grasses  ;  indeed,  sometimes 
tliey  almost  perish  from  thirst.  Until  the  forests  have 
advanced,  bringing  with  them  rains  and  springs,  and  new 
creeks  and  rivers,  the  Artesian  well  must  be  resorted  to,  to 
make  these  extensive  areas  useful  even  to  the  herdsman  ;  and 
these  can  be  secured  only  by  the  aid  of  the  State.  Artesian 
wells  would  here  work  wonders  greater  than  Aladdin's 
lamp.  The  forests  would  hasten  their  advancing  steps,  the 
rains  would  descend,  and  the  vast  and  lonely  wilderness 
would  become  almost  at  once  a  region  of  boundless  wealth 
and  unequalled  beauty  and  pleasure.  This  is  the  work  of 
the  statesman,  and  that  Governor  of  Texas  who  shall  ac- 
complish it,  will  build  for  himself  a  ^*  monument  more 
lasting  than  brass  and  taller  than  the  regal  heights  of  the 
Pyramids."  He  will  in  fact  enlarge  Texas  by  creating  and 
adding  to  it  another  empire. 

Jefferson  Davis,  while  United  States  Secretary  of  War, 
conceived  this  grand  idea,  worthy  of  a  statesman,  and  dis- 
patched Captain  John  Pope,  of  the  army,  to  show  its  prac- 
ticability. That  officer  accomplished  nothing,  boring  a 
few  shallow  holes  here  and  there,  and  Davis'  term  as  Sec- 
retary expiring  too  soon,  the  experiment  was  never  renewed 
— Pope's  failure  causing  many  to  think  that  Artesian  wells 
cannot  be  obtained  in  this  country.  IsTothing  could  be 
more  absurd.  There  are  myriads  of  fountains  and  rivers 
in  the  dark  recesses  of  the  earth,  and  it  is  quite  impossible 
to  sink  a  shaft  that  will  not  reach  some  of  these.  The 
only  conditions  of  success  are  that  the  bore  shall  be  deep 
enough,  and  that  the  strata  shall  rise  at  some  point,  not 
too  remote,  above  the  surface  of  the  bore.  The  strata  in 
all  this  region  lie  precisely  in  a  position  most  favorable  to 
these  wells,  and  are  not  broken  up  or  intercepted.  They 
rise  step  by  step  toward  the  northwest,  forming  an  im- 


294     TWO   THOUSAND    MILES   IJS"   TEXAS   OJS"   HOKSEBACK. 

mense  inclined  plane,  till  at  last,  within  less  than  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  miles,  they  are  two  thousand  feet  or  more 
above  the  lower  edge  of  the  plane.  If  vigorous  subter- 
ranean currents  do  not  sweep  down  this  plane,  it  would  be 
without  precedent  and  an  anomaly  in  nature.  I  dare  say 
that  a  shaft  sunk  a  thousand  to  two  thousand  feet  at  any 
point  of  it  in  Texas,  except  probably  its  extreme  northern 
edge,  would  be  followed  by  a  great  outburst  of  water.  The 
fact  that  all  the  great  rivers  of  Texas  have  their  sources 
either  on,  or  at  the  foot  of  this  plane,  leaves  no  doubt  of  this. 
It  is  a  work  which  will  be  demonstrated  and  accomplished. 

In  Darkness. 

Two  hours  at  Concho  Springs,  during  which  our  horses 
stuffed  themselves  greatly,  as  if  providing  against  an  im- 
pending famine,  did  not  lose  us  our  scalps,  and  we  rode 
west  with  whole  skins.  Ascending  out  of  the  depression 
we  rode  on  a  plain  that  seemed  interminable,  level  as  a 
carpet,  and  covered  with  luxuriant  grass,  on  which  the  set- 
ting sun  poured  a  golden  flood.  Hundreds  of  antelopes 
fed  on  the  expanse,  or  stopped  to  gaze  at  us.  It  was  a 
sudden  elevation  of  the  whole  territory  a  hundred  feet 
above  the  spot  we  had  just  left. 

Night  came  upon  us,  and  it  seemed  the  most  uncon- 
fined,  limitless  night  I  ever  beheld.  It  did  not  seem  to 
come  from  above  ;  for  the  stars  shone  with  wonderful 
brilliance  through  the  rarefied  air;  but  rather  that  we 
rode  on  a  promontory,  with  an  ocean  of  darkness  below  us, 
from  which  it  puffed  up  and  covered  the  spaces  about  us. 
So  real  did  this  spectral  ocean  appear  that  I  seemed  to 
hear  at  intervals  the  roar  of  the  billows  pushing  one  an- 
other and  bursting  against  rocks  below  us.  Suoh  is  the 
singular  effect  of  witnessing  night  fall  on  one  of  these 
promontories  of  the  globe.  And  it  was  not  all  phantas- 
magoria ;  for  the  darkness  did  literally  move  up  from  the 


TWO   THOUSAKD   MILES  IN  TEXAS  ON   HORSEBACK.     295 

subjacent  lowlands,  which  are  first  submerged  in  light. 
It  was  not  all  stillness.  Numberless  birds  of  night  whisked 
through  the  air,  some  of  them  making  a  pleasing  melody 
as  they  vaulted  into  the  heavens.  Suddenly  we  were 
startled  by  a  sound  like  that  of  a  brigade  of  cavalry  charg- 
ing furiously  over  the  plain.  Our  horses  arched  their  necks, 
pricked  their  ears,  and  almost  danced  with  excitement. 

"  Injuns  !  ^'  said  John  Powell. 

'^  Injuns  ! "  said  Jones  Johns. 

^^ Buffaloes  !"  said  I,  in  a  suppressed  voice. 

We  stopped  and  tried  to  look  into  the  darkness ;  but, 
though  the  point  whence  the  sound  came  seemed  at  first 
to  be  but  a  little  distance  off,  we  could  see  nothing.  We 
grasped  our  rifles  tighter.  It  gradually  died  away,  and 
then  ceased  altogether. 

^^  If  them's  Injuns  they've  taken  a  tremendous  stam- 
pede," said  Jones  Johns.  "  Guess  they  think  the  Tenth 
Cavalry  is  at  their  heels." 

At  that  moment  we  heard  the  distinct  neigh  of  a  horse, 
answered  immediately  by  many  others  from  different  direc- 
tions. 

''  What  do  you  make  of  that  now  ?"  said  John  Powell, 
with  manifest  uneasiness. 

^'If  them's  Injuns  there's  a  caution  of  'em,"  said  Jones 
Johns. 

The  neighing  soon  ceased,  and  all  was  silent  again,  save 
the  flight  and  melody  of  night  birds. 

We  rode  onward  cautiously,  our  horses  stepping  spirit- 
edly and  gaily,  as  if  they  wanted  to  show  themselves. 
Presently  we  rode  upon  a  pool  of  water,  reflecting  the 
stars  in  its  bosom.  When  our  horses  put  their  heads  down 
to  drink,^they  smelt  around  and  snorted  before  tasting  the 
water, 

^^ These  horses  feels  suspicious,"  said  John  Powell; 
^^they  know  something's  up.     They  smell  Injuns." 


296     TWO   THOUSAT^D   MILES   IK   TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK. 

I  dismounted  and  filled  all  our  canteens  from  the  clear 
pool.     ^^Boys,  shall  we  camp  ?" 

*^Not  here,  by  no  means/'  was  the  response  of  the 
soldiers.  ^^If  them's  Injuns  they'll  come  here  sure,  to 
get  water.     Let's  move  on." 

As  I  did  not  wish  to  leave  this  water  until  morning,  we 
rode  two  miles  south,  and  coming  to  a  small  clump  of  mes- 
quite  brush,  dismounted  and  took  up  our  abode  for  the 
night.  Our  horses  were  both  picketed  and  hobbled,  so 
that  in  case  of  an  attempt  to  stampede  them,  it  could  not 
prove  a  success.  The  grass  was  knee-deep,  and  a  grateful 
couch  it  made  to  our  weary  limbs.  We  had  travelled  over 
forty-four  miles  during  the  day.  We  kindled  no  light,  but 
wrapping  ourselves  up  in  blankets,  profound  peace  soon 
reigned  in  camp. 

Voices  of  the  Night. 

Before  falling  asleep  I  amused  myself  some  time  by 
taking  note  of  the  voices  that  broke  the  stillness  of  night. 
At  intervals  I  heard  distinctly  what  seemed  the  sound  of 
a  waterfall  at  great  distance,  or  water  rushing  suddenly 
over  a  rocky  channel — heard  but  a  moment  and  then  all 
was  still.  This  waterfall  may  have  been  fifty  miles  away, 
but  a  breeze  passing  by,  caught  up  the  sound  and  bore  it 
to  my  ears  in  the  still  night.  I  listened  to  these  sounds 
with  interest,  to  catch  every  note  ;  for  when  a  boy,  I  was 
startled  once  by  a  precisely  similar  sound,  which  I  have 
thought  of  a  thousand  times.  As  in  this  case,  the  sound 
seemed  to  come  from  the  skies,  was  heard  distinctly  a  sec- 
ond, and  then  ceased.  As  I  knew  there  was  no  waterfall 
in  that  region,  I  thought  in  my  boyish  fancy  I  had  heard 
one  of  the  crystal  fountains  of  Paradise,  and  for  fear  I 
would  not  be  believed,  never  told  it.  I  was  alone  in  a 
wide  campus,  in  the  early  part  of  a  clear  morning.    What 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   11^  TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.     297 

singular  acoustic  plienomenon  is  it  that  brings  to  us  these 
distant  sounds  ? 

Occasionally  some  heavy  bird  of  night  hovered  closely 
over  us,  his  feathers  cutting  the  wind  with  a  peculiar 
noise.  Some  of  these  were  so  large  that  I  judged  them 
to  be  eagles,  attracted  by  the  bulfalo  meat  we  had  with  us. 
Then  there  was  the  snipe,  or  lark,  or  whatever  it  might 
be,  springing  into  the  air  and  singing  as  he  soared.  His 
music  was  a  most  sweet  melody  that  gradually  lost  itself 
in  the  skies,  like  the  song  of  ^^an  unbodied  joy  whose 
race  is  just  begun." 

The  lonesome  cry  of  the  big  wolf  mingled  with  these 
sweet  sounds,  and  broke  over  the  plains  like  the  wail  of  a 
lost  soul  on  the  banks  of  the  Sty^c.  Sometimes  the  cry  of 
a  dozen  of  these  rose  into  the  air  from  as  many  different 
directions  at  once.  At  last  I  fell  asleep  to  the  music  of 
sweet  larks  and  prowling  wolves. 
13* 


y. 


EvoE  !— The  Chakge  ! 

IT  was  grey  of  dawn  when  a  loud  snort  from  our  horses 
awakened  me.  The  two  soldiers  bestirred  themselves 
at  the  same  moment,  and  we  all  grasped  our  artillery.  As 
I  did  so  I  beheld  two  large  wolves  sitting  side  by  side,  not 
more  than  thirty  yards  off>— looking  straight  at  us.  I  was 
about  to  pull  trigger,  when  the  soldiers  asked  me  to  desist, 
saying  that  our  horses,  which  now  snorted  again  very  vig- 
orously, were  not  disturbed  by  the  wolves,  but  evidently 
by  something  else.  I  assented,  and  paid  no  further  atten- 
tion to  the  wolves.  At  the  same  moment  we  heard  the 
neighing  of  a  number  of  horses. 

''  There  now  !"  said  John  Powell ;  '^  didn't  I  tell  you 
so  ?    The  Injuns  are  upon  us,  certain." 

Stepping  to  the  edge  of  the  brush,  we  saw  a  brigade  of 
horses  approaching  us.  '^  It  is  so  !"  said  I.  ''  It  is  so  ! " 
repeated  the  soldiers ;  and  we  put  our  thumbs  to  the  ham- 
mers of  the  guns.  The  brigade  was  not  more  than  three 
hundred  yards  from  us,  and  steadily  advancing.  In  a 
moment  we  observed  that  the  horses  were  riderless,  and 
there  was  a  feeling  of  relief  and  a  decided  sensation  when 
we  exclaimed — ''  Wild  horses  !     Mustangs  ! " 

Our  horses  were  becoming  more  and  more  excited  as 
the  gay  cavalcade  drew  nearer,  but  knowing  they  were  safe 
from  stampede,  we  fell  back  into  the  brush  to  conceal  our- 
selves, so  that  the  mustangs  might  come  upon  us.  The 
point  was  an  excellent  one,  both  for  concealment  and  ob- 


TWO   THOUSAIS'D   MILES   li^   TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK.     299 

servation.  It  was  on  a  knoll,  or  slight  elevation  of  the  sur- 
face, and  the  brush  and  tall  grass  were  so  thick  that  not 
even  the  keen  eye  of  these  sons  of  the  prairie  could  detect 
us,  until  almost  immediately  on  us. 

On  they  came,  and  it  was  a  beautiful  sight  to  behold. 
They  had  seen  our  horses,  and  wei'e  coming  directly  upon 
them.  When  about  a  hundred  yards  off,  they  stopped  with 
one  accord,  as  if  suspicious  of  a  lurking  enemy ;  their 
heads  lifted  up  and  looking  toward  us.  Presently  a  squad- 
ron of  the  boldest  pranced  out  before  the  others,  and  after 
a  few  curvettings  marched  deliberately,  with  arched  necks, 
to  our  hobbled  steeds.  These  were  the  most  beautiful  ani- 
mals I  ever  beheld.  Some  of  them  were  pure  milk  white, 
without  a  spot  or  stain  ;  their  long,  flowing  tails,  thick 
mane,  pendent  forelocks  and  feet,  of  jetty  blackness.  Bless 
my  soul  !  thought  I ;  suppose  I  had  a  couple  of  yon  fellows 
to  draw  my  buggy  through  the  streets  of  Houston — would 
I  not  cut  a  swell  ?  Others  were  as  black  as  ravens  and 
almost  as  lustrous  as  a  mirror  in  the  sunshine  ;  others  were 
bay,  others  chestnut,  others  sorrel,  others  cream,  and  others 
spotted  with  red  and  white  or  black.  These  advance  fel- 
lows were  all  stallions.  They  came  right  up  to  our  horses 
and  bit  at  and  squealed  at  them.  The  others,  taking  cour- 
age, galloped  bravely  up,  so  that  in  a  moment  our  three 
horses  were  surrounded  and  hidden  out  of  sight  by  the  gay 
throng.  It  was  the  most  nrdgm^cent  caballado  lever  saw  ; 
not  a  poor  or  shabby  one  among  them  ;  all  fat  and  sleek  as 
moles — looking  as  if  they  had  just  been  carefully  rubbed 
by  the  most  skillful  hostlers.  It  was  a  sight  worth  a  trip 
to  see. 

*^Look  here;  I'm  afraid  they'll  kick  our  horses  to 
death,"  said  John  Powell.  ^^  I  think  we'd  better  get  out 
o'  here." 

In  that  opinion  I  agreed  ;  and  all  of  us  stepping  out  on 
the  plain,  not  forty  yards  from  them,  it  was  as  if  a  thou- 


300    TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   11^   TEXAS   O^ST   HORSEBACK. 

sand  fearfnl  apparitions  had  fallen  suddenly  among  them. 
They  bounded  away,  their  heads  and  tails  lifted  high  in 
the  air,  dashing  furiously  off,  as  fast  as  their  gay  legs  could 
carry  them  ;  and  they  continued  to  go  in  this  way  till  they 
sank  out  of  sight  and  out  of  hearing.  Our  horses  made  a 
foolish  effort  to  follow  them,  and  when  we  went  up  to 
pacify  them,  they  did  not  wish  us  to  come  near  them,  but 
turned  their  heels  to  us  and  squealed.  Their  eyes  blazed 
with  excitement,  and  they  behaved  for  all  the  world  as  if 
they  thought  that  they  were  wild  horses  too.  I  could  but 
laugh  at  the  ridiculous  put-on  of  the  poor  beasts  of  bur- 
den ;  but  it  was,  after  all,  nature  boiling  up  within  them. 
If  they  had  not  been  hobbled  with  good  rawhide  thongs, 
we  would  have  been  set  afoot ;  for  nothing  could  have  re- 
sisted their  headstrong  fury  to  run  wild  too,  to  live  with 
their  beautiful  free  brethren  of  the  plains.  I  certainly 
could  not  blame  them  ;  for  should  I  discover  on  this  trip  a 
race  of  wild  ladies  as  surpassingly  beautiful  over  their  tame 
sisters  as  these  wild  steeds  are  over  the  tamb  ones,  I  should 
undoubtedly  run  wild  too,  and  take  up  my  abode  with  the 
wild  ladies.  Eailroads  and  cities  and  foundries  and  the 
haunts  of  civilization  would  know  me  no  more.  My  life 
would  thenceforth  be  the  color  and  the  fragrance  of  the 
rose. 

We  brought  our  horses  to  their  senses  by  a  strong  pull 
of  the  stake-rope  ;  and  yet  after  we  mounted  them,  it  was 
amusing  to  see  how  they  behaved.  They  arched  their 
necks,  shook  their  heads,  lifted  their  heels  extraordinarily 
high,  and  emitted  snort  after  snort. 

These  horses  are  not  as  large  as  the  domestic  horse,  but 
are  more  compactly  put  up,  and  seem  to  be  stronger  in 
proportion  to  size.  There  is  nothing  lean  or  lank  about 
them,  but  all  is  closely  knit  and  well-rounded  symmetry. 
The  true  Morgan  stallion  seems  to  come  about  as  near  their 
size  and  appearance  as  any  breed  of  horses  I  can  think  of. 


TWO   TH0USA:N'D   miles   in   TEXAS   Oii   HORSEBACK.     301 

They  are  the  true  equine  Achilleses — so  beautiful,  strong 
and  agile.  They  are  larger  than  the  Mexican  horses, 
commonly  called  mustangs  in  Texas,  and  infinitely  better 
looking.  The  latter  are  generally  coarse  and  shaggy,  but 
the  true  mustangs  are  the  belles  and  beaux  of  their  race. 
The  dark  shades  prevail  among  them,  but  nearly  all  other 
colors  and  shades  are  well  represented.  In  the  early  days 
of  Texas,  when  these  wild  horses  were  common  on  all  the 
great  prairies,  the  settlers  made  it  a  business  to  hunt  them, 
catching  them  with  the  lasso  ;  and  there  are  not  a  few  old 
Texans  who  obtained  their  start  in  horse-stock  from  this 
source.  They  are  said  to  be  easily  tamed,  even  when 
caught  full  grown,  and  make  superior  saddle-horses. 

Whekce  Came  He  ? 

All  who  have  written  of  this  prairie-horse,  state  that 
he  has  descended  from  the  stray  or  lost  horses  of  the  first 
Spanish  settlers  or  explorers.  I  do  not  accept  this  theory. 
I  believe  that  he  is  an  American  production,  as  much  so  as 
Powhatan  or  Montezuma,  and  roamed  over  these  prairies 
as  freely  when  Columbus  discovered  America  as  he  does 
to-day.  That  he  receives  accessions  from  the  domestic 
horse  is  certain  ;  for  I  saw  one  large  individual  in  this 
herd,  very  unlike  the  rest,  who  had  distinct  sad  die- marks 
on  his  back  and  flanks ;  but  these  are  waifs  who  have 
contributed  very  little  to  the  common  stock — not  even 
enough  to  impress  upon  it  a  variety  of  form  and  size.  I 
look  upon  him  as  the  native  son  of  the  prairie,  like  the 
antelope  and  buffalo,  and  like  these  he  will  cease  to  exist 
when  the  prairies  have  been  occupied  by  the  forest.  The 
fact  that  the  horse  was  unknown  to  the  Indian  on  the 
coast  and  to  the  Mexican,  when  the  new  country  was  dis- 
covered, does  not  prove  that  the  horse  .did  not  exist  within 
it.  It  proves  only  that  he  did  not  exist  in  those  regions 
where  there  were  few  or  no  prairies  ;  and  such  was  the 


302     TWO   THOUSAJq^D   MILES   IK   TEXAS   01^   HORSEBACK^ 

territory  where  the  first  European  adventurers  touched. 
The  Indians  of  those  days  were  not  accustomed  to  long 
journeys;*  they  were  circumscribed  within  narrow  limits 
by  hostile  tribes,  who  scrupulously  maintained  the  doctrine 
of  non-intercourse ;  and  they  were  not  apt  to  learn  that 
horses  existed  on  the  boundless  prairies  of  the  west,  or  that 
their  red  brethren  ever  rode  on  their  backs.  Some  will 
say  that  if  it  is  true  that  he  is  a  native  son  of  the  prairie, 
he  should  have  been  found  by  those  who  first  visited  the 
northwest,  where  great  prairies  abound.  The  fact  that 
the  horse  in  the  wild  state  is  necessarily  a  sub-tropical 
animal,  will  answer  this  objection.  He  could  not  exist  in 
a  region  subject  to  intense  cold  and  deep  snows  ;  and  even 
if  he  would  visit  the  northern  prairies  in  summer,  his  way 
to  them  was  barred  by  wide  belts  of  forest,  which,  like  the 
buffalo  and  antelope,  he  abhors.  I  dare  say  when  La  Salle 
visited  the  Texas  coast  he  saw  wild  horses  in  abundance, 
if  he  pushed  far  into  the  prairie  region,  f  When  the  first 
Americans  came  to  Texas,  they  found  some  of  the  Indians 
rich  in  herds  of  horses,  and  they  brought  on  severe  troubles 
with  them  by  raiding  upon  them,  to  steal  their  horses — a 
game  which  the  Indians  have  been  constantly  playing  upon 
the  whites  ever  since. 

If  these  wild  horses  are  the  descendants  of  domestic 
horses  that  strayed  from  the  early  settlers,  why  were  none 
found  on  the  prairies  of  Florida  and  Louisiana,  which 
were,  and  are  yet,  ample  for  the  support  of  large  herds  ? 
If  the  theory  is  correct,  we  must  suppose  that  the  settlers 
of  those  States  were  much  more  careful  of  their  horses  than 
those  who  first  came  to  Texas  and  Mexico  ;  or  that  their 
horses  were  much  less  inclined  to  run  away. 

*  Neither  are  they  now. 

t  This  surmise  is  corcect.  La  Salle  found  the  Indians  on  the  Neches  well 
supplied  with  horses.  They  received  him  kindly  and  generously  gave  him  horses 
to  mount  his  company  of  twenty  men,  who  were  trying  to  find  their  way  on  foot 
from  the  coast  of  Texas  to  the  French  missionary  posts  in  the  north. 


TWO   THOUSAl^D   MILES   11^  TEXAS   0]Sr   HORSEBACK.     303 

The  horse  in  a  diminutive  form,  is  found  fossil  all  over 
Texas,  in  the  later  Tertiary  deposits  and  alluvial  soil. 
His  fossil  bones  of  larger  size  are  also  found  in  Kentucky, 
and  even  as  far  north  as  Minnesota  in  the  same  deposits. 
It  is  certain  then  that  he  existed  in  this  country  long  be- 
fore the  days  of  Columbus,  or  even  Adam.  Having  been 
here  then,  why  should  he  not  be  liere  now  ?  There  is  no 
evidence  in  geology  that  he  became  extinct,  but  rather  that 
he  continued  to  improve  in  form  and  size,  and  retired  west- 
ward and  southward  only  before  the  advancing  forests,  and 
the  increased  rigor  of  the  climate  which  took  place  about 
the  time  of  man's  advent  in  the  world.  The  bos  also  ex- 
isted in  those  remote  days,  and  we  have  his  descendants 
in  the  buffalo  ;  which,  for  all  that  we  know,  was  as  much 
unknown  to  the  Indians  east  of  the  Mississippi,  as  the 
horse.     If  the  bos  could  survive,  why  not  the  equus  ? 

Dew-Drops. 

As  we  rode  back  to  the  pool  at  which  we  watered  last 
night,  the  prairie  was  radiant  with  myriads  of  little  suns. 
Globules  of  bright  water  sat  upon  every  blade  of  grass,  and 
from  all  of  these  miniature  suns,  flashed  and  shot  their  rays 
into  our  faces — the  reflection  in  the  dew-drops  of  the  great 
orb  tliat  had  just  risen.  The  grass  was  as  wet  as  if  a  heavy 
cloud  had  settled  upon  it  and  parted  with  all  its  moisture. 
Thus,  in  mid-winter  as  well  as  summer,  the  dews  come 
nightly  upon  this  lofty  plain,  and  the  heaviest  I  ever  saw. 
In  other  regions  the  dews  affect  the  lowlands,  and  come 
only  in  the  warmer  seasons  ;  but  here  they  come  alike  to 
the  lofty  table-land  and  the  valley,  and  at  all  seasons.  Is 
not  this  design  in  Him  Who  Rules  ?  Without  these  extra- 
ordinary dews,  where  would  be  this  luxuriant  verdancy  and 
the  fertility  of  these  plains  ?  What  is  now  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  parts  of  creation,  would  be  a  barren  desolation — • 


304    TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IK   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK. 

the  sport  alternately  of  hot  whirlwinds  and  frozen  tempests, 
shunned  as  a  region  of  death  by  all  living  things. 

The  Hand  of  Providence. — The  Volcanic  Foun- 
tains. 

Arriving  at  the  pool,  instead  of  one,  we  found  a  dozen 
or  more.  These  are  the  Mustang  Water  Holes,  as  written 
in  the  maps.  They  are  circular,  as  much  so  as  a  well,  and 
apparently  not  less  profound  ;  the  water  cool  and  pure. 
Some  of  them  are  three  hundred  feet  in  diameter,  and  none 
less  than  a  hundred.  They  are  separated  a  few  feet  apart, 
and  each  rises  a  few  inches  above  its  nearest  neighbor  to 
the  east,  so  that  in  case  of  overflow,  the  water  of  the  most 
remote  would  flow  through  all.  They  have  no  current 
flowing  into  them,  and  none  flowing  out,  that  is  percepti- 
ble. They  are  situated  in  a  level  plain  ;  but  two  parallel 
ridges  of  low  rounded  mountains,  forming  a  beautiful  valley 
between,  extend  nearly  down  to  them  from  the  west,  and 
a  very  slight  depression  leads  away  toward  the  head  of  the 
Concho.  These  fountains,  pools,  or  cisterns,  or  whatever 
else  they  may  be  called,  are  said  never  to  diminish  their 
pure  sparkling  water,  but  it  remains  at  the  same  level, 
quite  up  to  the  top,  even  during  the  severest  droughts. 

Whence  came  they,  and  what  are  they  ?  I  can  account 
for  them  on  no  other  ground  than  that  they  are  the  rem- 
nants of  a  deep  volcanic  fissure,  and  that  their*  waters  issue 
from  profound  depths.  Such  phenomenal  pools  or  cisterns 
are  not  uncommon  on  these  streamless  plains.  One  who 
has  seen  nearly  all  of  this  vast  region  told  me  that  often, 
when  he  believed  he  should  perish  for  water,  he  had  sud- 
denly come  upon  them — many  of  them  as  round  as  a  well 
and  but  little  bigger,  and  so  deep  that  he  could  find  no 
bottom  with  his  stake-rope.  Some  of  these,  said  he,  looked 
precisely  as  if  they  had  been  wrought  by  human  hands, 
the  water  standing  nearly  level  with  the  top,  and  always 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN^  TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK.     305 

sweet  and  pure  even  when  in  the  midst  of  salty  and  gyp- 
seous regions.  Why  are  not  such  as  these  found  in  regions 
tilled  with  springs  and  traversed  by  streams  ?  Because 
they  would  answer  no  purpose,  and  supply  no  necessity. 
Without  them  even  the  buffalo,  the  antelope  and  the  wild 
horse  could  barely  venture  upon  the  borders  of  this  great 
unfinished  country,  and  the  dews  would  be  distilled  to  nur- 
ture the  luxiiriant  crops  of  grass,  in  vain.  The  roads  that 
penetrate  it  bend  hither  and  thither  to  reach  them  like  a 
ship  beating  against  a  contrary  wind,  and  without  them, 
the  populous  part  of  Texas  would  be  separated  from  north- 
ern Mexico  and  the  Pacific,  almost  as  effectually  as  if  an 
ocean  of  fire  rolled  between  them.  They  were  necessary, 
and  therefore  they  were  ordered,  and  the  volcauic  forces 
were  despatched  to  form  them. 

The  Sentinels  and  Prophets. 

A  little  distance  from  these  remarkable  fountains^ 
three  sentinels  stand  side  by  side,  alone  in  the  vast  ex- 
panse. As  is  fitting  in  those  who  are  pushed  forward  to 
blaze  the  way  of  the  advancing  hosts,  they  are  robust  and 
strong.  They  are  three  solitary  live-oaks,  hearts  of  iron, 
rising  in  grandeur,  and  stretching  out  their  broad  arms  as 
if  saying  to  the  prairies  :  '^  And  you  shall  all  come  under 
our  dominion  ! "  There  they  stand — grand,  noble  trees — 
at  least  a  hundred  miles  in  advance  of  their  hosts,  and  not 
another  tree  of  any  sort  probably  within  fifty  miles  ;  seem- 
ing to  feel  proud  of  their  solitude,  as  if  by  this  they  knew 
they  were  the  chosen  agents  of  the  Architect,  by  whose 
fiat  they  were  thus  advanced.  Let  them  stand  forever,  or 
until  their  iron  hearts  are  wasted  by  eternal  time  !  They 
probably  saw  this  country  before  the  foot  of  the  European 
touched  American  soil ;  the  buffalo  and  the  red  man  have 
rested  under  their  shade  for  centuries;  and  now  let  them 
stand  to  witness  the  teeming  populations  of  the  east,  that 


306     TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IJS"   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK. 

are  destined  to  swarm  around  them  under  the  torch-light 
of  civilization.  The  messengers  of  God  to  foretell  the 
advance  of  the  hosts,  let  them  stand* until  he  calls  them 
hence ! 

The  Cypress  of  Somma,  which  still  stands  on  the  lofty 
flanks  of  the  Alps,  was  written  of  by  Julius  Caesar  nineteen 
hundred  and  nineteen  years  ago.  When  Napoleon  was 
cutting  his  great  road  over  the  Simplon,  he  stood  in  its 
shade  and  directed  his  engineers  not  to  touch  that  tree. 
Thus  we  know  that  at  least  twenty  centuries  extend  their 
shadowy  wings  around  this  venerable  tree,  and  we  are 
taught  by  it  something  of  the  age  of  the  monarchs  of  the 
forest.  Let  him  who  dwells  on  this  plain  in  the  centuries 
to  come,  know  by  these  signals  that  in  the  year  of  our 
Lord  1876,  these  three  oaks,  alone  in  the  wide  expanse, 
were  apparently  in  middle  life,  fresh,  powerful  and  vigor- 
ous. From  this  let  them  measure  the  life  of  the  iron- 
hearted  oak ! 

Pursuit  and  Death. — The  Jaguar. 

After  breakfast  under  the  mantle  of  the  prophets,  we 
rode  west,  up  the  green  valley  between  the  mountains,  and 
witnessed  a  scene  which  shows  that  all  is  not  peace,  even 
in  this  solitude.  An  antelope  swept  down  the  valley  rap- 
idly toward  us,  a  strange  beast  following  closely  behind 
him.  They  passed  within  thirty  yards  of  us,  and  neither 
appeared  to  notice  us.  The  antelope  seemed  nearly  ex- 
hausted, while  the  animal  in  pursuit  bounded  along  ap- 
parently without  effort,  as  if  conscious  that  the  end  was 
near.  This  was  the  jaguar — -felis  onca — more  commonly 
called  the  Mexican  lion,  one  of  the  most  ferocious  of 
beasts  :  color  light  brown,  body  five  to  six  feet  in  length, 
two  and  a  half  to  three  feet  in  height,  and  a  heavy,  tiger- 
like head.  Our  first  impulse  was  to  relieve  the  pretty 
antelope  by  discharging  a  volley  into  the  jaguar,  but  we 


TWO   THOUSAi^D   MILES   I]^   TEXAS   OlsT   HORSEBACK.     807 

conclu'ded  to  watch  the  result.  The  antelope  changed 
his  course,  running  through  a  narrow  pass  in  the  moun- 
tains to  our  left,  and  both  disappeared.  We  followed, 
and  had  gone  but  a  few  hundred  yards  when  we  saw  the 
antelope  coming  back  on  his  tracks,  the  jaguar  still  in 
pursuit  and  almost  at  his  heels.  When  opposite  us,  about 
fifty  yards  off,  the  jaguar  with  an  easy  bound  sprang  into 
the  air,  alighting  upon  the  antelope's  shoulders.  He 
clasped  his  forefeet  closely  around  the  antelope's  neck 
and  buried  his  head  under  his  throat — the  poor  animal  in 
the  meantime  bawling  and  crying  piteously.  He  stag- 
gered under  the  weight  of  the  carnivore,  and  after  a  few 
steps  fell  to  the  ground,  the  latter  still  clinging  to  his 
throat. 

John  and  myself  now  jumped  from  our  horses,  and 
handing  the  reins  to  Powell,  hastened  to  take  part  in  the 
deadly  scene,  and  to  save  the  antelope  if  we  could.  At 
fifteen  paces  we  opened  fire  with  our  pistols ;  the  jaguar 
turned  to  look  at  us  a  second,  and  then  dashed  up  the 
mountain  side — bullets  in  rapid  succession  striking  the 
rocks  about  him.  We  fear  we  did  not  wound  him,  and  he 
disappeared.  The  antelope  rose  and  staggered  a  few  paces 
and  fell  again.  A  large  wound  had  been  torn  at  the  base 
of  his  throat,  from  which  his  blood  was  gushing.  His 
flanks  and  shoulders  were  also  torn  by  the  sharp  claws  of 
the  beast,  and  seeing  that  there  was  no  hope  for  the  poor 
animal,  we  shot  him  through  the  head  to  relieve  him  of 
his  pain.  It  appeared  from  the  wound,  and  the  way  that 
the  jaguar  crouched  to  his  throat,  that  he  had  actually 
been  drinking  his  blood  while  he  struggled.  Did  such 
scenes  occur  before  that  fatal  apple  was  eaten  ?  Ah, 
Mother  Eve,  if  ancient  legends  are  true,  how  grievous  has 
been  thy  sin  !  In  thy  gentleness  and  beauty,  what  a  pity 
thou  didst  not  know  what  cruel  scenes  would  follow  thy 
transgression  I     Thy  gentle  heart  would  have  sickened,  and 


308    TWO   THOUSAKD   MILES   IK   TEXAS   OK   HOKSEBACK. 

Eden   would  have  needed  no  angel  bands  to  wai'd  thee 
against  the  tempter^  and  yet  in  vain  !  * 

A  Chakge  Ikdeed. — The  Floral  Fiekd. 

We  did  not  return  to  the  yalley,  but  turned  to  the 
south-west,  following  an  obscure  trail,  which  seems  to  have 
been,  at  some  day,  a  small  road.  It  is  not  now  all  beauty 
and  amenity  ;  quite  the  reverse.  Barren,  stony  scopes  oc- 
cur ;  solitary,  isolated  mountains,  and  table-lands  with 
perpendicular  walls  that  look  like  fortresses.  The  walls  of 
some  of  these  are  destitute  of  stones,  composed  of  layers 
of  clay  and  white,  powdery  marl,  styptic  as  soda  on  the 
tongue.  These  fortress-like  table  lands  are  very  peculiar 
and  difficult  to  explain.  They  seem  not  to  have  been  up- 
lifted, but  rather  that  the  contiguous  lands  have  subsided 
away  from  them,  by  some  accident  leaving  them  standing 
alone.  They  are  from  ten  to  thirty  feet  in  perpendicular 
height,  and  often  quite  inaccessible  on  top.  For  miles  and 
miles  no  vegetation  save  a  short  crisp  grass  ;  not  a  dipp  of 
water  and  no  animal  life.  Finally  we  ride  into  a  moun- 
tainous district,  for  which  bleakness  is  no  name.  Wide, 
flat  stones,  sometimes  extending  hundreds  of  yards,  emit  a 
hollow  sound  under  our  horses'  feet.  In  the  crevices  of 
these  stones,  that  fierce  ugliness,  the  prickly  pear,  has 
struck  its  roots,  and  strangely  enough,  flourishes  in  the 
unmatched  sterility,  luxuriating  in  what  would  be  death 
to  all  other  vegetation.  Its  ferocious  aspect  and  the 
strangeness  of  its  situation  add  to  the  grimness  of  the 
scene.  This  thing,  living  on  stones  in  the  most  desolate 
spots  of  earth,  reminds  me  of  the  infernal  fiends  who  are 

*  The  jaguar  is  quite  common  in  the  uninhabited  wilds  of  Western  Texas,  and 
is  a  very  destructive  beast,  attacking  and  slaving  full-grown  horses  and  cattle 
He  is  said  to  be  a  dangerous  animal  to  tamper  with,  and  certainly  his  aspect 
would  indicate  it.  He  has  a  brutal,  bull-dog  head,  short,  heavy  neck,  and  his 
power  of  spring  is  tremendous.  It  is  not  safe  to  hunt  him  except  in  companies. 
They  often  roar  very  like  a  lion,  and  have  more  resemblance  to  that  animal  than 
to  either  the  cougar  or  tiger 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES    I:N^   TEXAS   OX    HORSEBACK.     309 

said  to  disport  themselves  and  play  games  of  hell  in  hissing 
flames  and  lakes  of  liquid  lire.  It  may  appropriately  be 
called  the  Floral  Fiend  ;  for  surely  it  is  hideous  enough, 
bristling  with  deadly  spires,  sharper  than  needles,  and  set 
off  with  flame-red  phimes,  suggestive  of  the  flames  below. 
I  dare  say  if  one  should  run  against  one  of  these  fiends  at 
night,  he  would  smell  an  odor  of  brimstone. 

A  Bakd  or  Philosophees. 

While  riding  along  the  flank  of  a  mountain  in  this 
abode  of  the  accursed,  we  saw  beneath  us  in  a  verdureless 
vale,  a  company  of  antelopes  walking  hither  and  thither 
and  curiously  observing  everything.  They  were  not  seek- 
ing food,  for  there  was  absolutely  nothing  of  that  sort. 
They  would  stand  on  the  brink  of  a  precipice,  and  project 
their  heads  as  far  over  as  possible,  as  if  studying  the  dis- 
mal scenes  below  ;  then  they  would  contemplate  the  stony 
mountain  sides,  gazing  at  the  misshapen  masses  of  rock. 
We  stopped  to  watch  their  curious  behavior.  Said  I  to 
the  soldiers  :  '^  Those  fellows  are  a  band  of  philosophers 
who  are  exploring  the  wilderness  for  the  love  of  science. 
See  how  curiously  they  inspect  everything,  from  the  grim 
exposure  of  the  ravines  to  the  lonely  pebble  on  the  waste. 
These  be  the  ways  of  philosophers.  They  are  probably 
getting  up  a  cosmogony  of  their  own,  with  which  when 
they  return  to  the  plains,  they  will  astonish  the  learned 
brethren.  And  dissertations  and  counter-dissertations  will 
follow,  till  at  length,  perplexed  and  wearied,  the  brethren 
will  fall  back  to  the  old  faith.  ^' 

''  That's  so,"  said  Jones  Johns  ;  ^*for  I  always  suspects 
a  man  to  be  a  fraud  that  is  too  smart.  He  don't  believe 
the  half  that  he  tells." 

'^  I'll  bet  they  are  a  gang  of  miners,"  said  John  Powell; 
*'  running  the  risk  of  starvation  and  wolves  to  hunt  for 
gold." 


310     TWO  THOUSAN'D   MILES   1:^"   TEXAS   0:^"   HORSEBACK. 

^^They  might  as  well  be  cosmogromers  as  anything 
else/' said  Jones  Johns;  ^^for  if  they  stay  here  they'll 
soon  get  so  poor  they'll  not  be  fitten  for  anything  else." 

But,  in  serious  earnest,  what  brought  these  festive 
creatures  hither  ?  It  was  real  enjoyment  of  the  unaccus- 
tomed scenes.  Having  touched  the  border  and  spied  the 
oddity,  a  spirit  of  curiosity  and  inquiry  impelled  them  to 
proceed  to  the  centre  and  explore  it — ^^like  a  gang  of  truant 
schoolboys  on  a  holiday,  wandering  into  all  sorts  of  odd 
places,  and  gathering  fun  from  every  object.  Go  on,  fes- 
tive fellows  !  I  sympathize  with  you  in  your  love  of  na- 
ture ;  and  were  I  as  hungry  as  a  wolf,  I  would  not  shoot 
one  of  you  for  a  league  of  land.  There  is  more  of  God  iri 
his  humblest  creatures  than  the  world  is  willing  to  admit. 

Seat  of  Desolatioi;^. — The  Skeletoj^s  I2!^  Battle 
Array. 

At  last,  after  mid-day,  when  all  were  weary,  a  long  and 
tolerably  smooth  ascent  rose  before  us,  beyond  whose  crest 
no  loftier  region  appeared.  I  said  to  myself  :  "  That 
surely  is  the  end.  From  that  crest  I  shall  behold  the 
glorious  prospect  of  verdant  plain,  and  pleasing  hill  and 
vale."  Our  horses  seemed  equally  inspired  by  that  crest 
with  no  pinnacle  beyond.  They  seemed  to  say  to  them 
selves:  ^^  There  be  good  grass  and  water  beyond  that." 
They  urged  briskly  ahead,  growing  more  and  more  impa- 
tient as  they  drew  nearer  the  crest. 

We  reached  it ;  and  horse  and  rider  turned  pale  or  felt 
pale  at  the  hideous  spectacle  that  spread  out  interminably. 
It  is  a  plain,  it  is  true,  but  such  a  plain  ! — barren,  arid, 
horrid  :  occupied  by  gigantic  castles  of  prickly  pear,  around 
which  an  army  of  grinning  skeletons,  with  nodding,  with- 
ered plumes,  and  armed  with  huge  bayonets,  are  standing 
sentinel  !     Our  poor  horses  looked  as  if  they  were  pierced 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IIT   TEXAS   ON   HOKSEBACK.     311 

with  grief  as  they  beheld  this  scene,  and,  lately  so  spirited, 
became  all  at  once  dull  and  lethargic.  They  viewed  the 
grizzly  castles  and  grinning  skeletons  with  profound  dis- 
gust and  aversion. 

Do  not  imagine  that  it  is  a  mere  fancy — these  grinning 
skeletons  with  withered  plume  and  bayonet !  It  is  an 
army  of  Spanish  Daggers,  and  so  exact  is  the  similitude 
that  fancy  is  not  needed  to  fill  the  picture.  They  stand 
six  to  eight  and  ten  feet  high,  their  summits  capped  with 
a  withered  plume  of  white  flowers,  and  fearful  two-edged 
blades,  pointed  as  keen  as  needles,  project  outward  from 
the  scaly  trunk  in  every  direction.  These  withered  plumes 
look  like  the  head  of  a  soldier  with  flowing  helmet.  One 
not  accustomed  to  them,  riding  suddenly  upon  them  on  a 
moonlight  night,  could  hardly  fail  to  be  struck  with  amaze- 
ment, under  the  hallucination  that  he  has  ridden  upon  an 
army  in  battle  array,  with  their  guns  levelled  at  his  breast. 
They  bear  no  foliage — nothing  save  these  terrible  swords  or 
daggers,  which  are  as  terrible  as  any  weapon  of  steel  ever 
manufactured  by  the  murderous  art  of  man.  They  are 
stout  enough  and  sharp  enough  to  be  thrust  easily  through 
a  man's  body,  and  their  slightly  serrated  edges,  finished 
with  a  coat  of  glittering  silica,  are  sharp  as  a  razor.  There 
is  certainly  no  plant  in  nature  of  more  forbidding  aspect, 
unless  it  be  its  dread  congener,  the  Floral  Fiend,  which 
here  erects  its  great  buildings  twenty  and  thirty  feet  in 
height,  with  ugly  archways  beneath,  through  which  a  man 
could  ride  on  horseback.  Not  a  blade  of  grass  is  visible. 
The  bare,  pale-red  earth  is  everywhere  exposed,  feave  where 
the  black  or  grey  rocks  spread  over  the  surface.  Aridity  ! 
he  knows  thee  not  who  has  not  seen  this  !  Whence  do 
these  gigantic  plants  and  castles,  full  of  moisture,  obtain 
their  subsistence  ?  They  are  the  true  vegetable  chameleons 
that  grow  fat  on  light  and  air. 

'*^Well,  well/'  said  John  Powell,  who  had  fallen  into  a 


312     TWO   THOUSAND    MILES   IN   TEXAS   OK    HORSEBACK. 

melancholy  ;  ^'  what  did  the  Almighty  make  such  a  conn- 
try  as  this  for  ?  " 

*'Ah,"  said  I,  *^John  Powell,  this  is  the  country 
where  we  shall  make  our  fortunes.  Tliis  is  even  better 
than  the  sand-prairie.  Those  grim  skeletons  are  a  mint 
of  gold  to  those  who  will  work  them  skillfully  and  indus- 
triously, as  we  will.  See  those  great  swords  that  they 
point  up  at  us.  They  are  a  mass  of  strong  hempen  cords, 
from  which  we  may  manufacture  ropes  and  sacks  without 
end.  See  those  great  heads  and  plumes  !  From  them  we 
may  distil  an  ardent  spirit  so  strong  that  it  shall  make 
drunk  even  those  who  shall  smell  it.  There  on  that  stony 
surface,  we  can  erect  our  factory  and  distillery ;  and 
though  in  the  wilderness,  we  can  pursue  our  industry  in 
security.  Those  terrible  thorns  and  blades,  and  chis 
wild  desolation,  will  protect  us  better  than  a  thousand 
cannons." 

"  But  what  shall  we  do  for  water  to  drink  and  to 
make  steam  to  run  our  machinery  ?"  said  John  Powell. 

"  We  have  but  to  drill  a  hole  into  the  caverns  beneath 
us.  Listen  to  the  hollow  sound  they  give  forth  to  our 
horses'  feet.  There  we  shall  find  shady  grottoes  and  bub- 
bling fountains." 

^'And  rattlesnakes  by  the  wagon  load,"  interposed 
Jones  Johns. 

^' Never  mind  the  rattlesnakes  if  we  can  make  a 
fortune,"  said  John  Powell.  "We  can «  smoke  them 
out." 

"  The  plan  will  be  to  issue  stock  or  shares  and  appoint 
a  financial  agent  in  New  York  and  London.  We  shall  call 
it  the  Great  American  Kope,  Sack  and  Mescal  Company. 
The  sharps  will  sell  like  hot  cakes." 

^'  It  is  grand  ! "  said  John  Powell. 

"  It  is  grand. !  ^'  said  Jones  Johns. 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.     313 


Of  Him  that  ate  Eed-Eiding  Hood, 

Now  I  know  that  I  shall  have  some  little  boy  and  girl 
readers,  and  I  should  do  wrong  if  I  did  not  tell  them  what 
I  did  with  the  old  wolf  that  ate  little  .Eed-Riding  Hood. 
We  had  been  riding  an  hour  through  this  ugly  forest,  over 
the  hard  clay  and  rock,  without  seeing  a  living  creature, 
save  two  or  three  lonely  molly-cotton-tails  that  dwelt  under 
the  great  cactus  castles,  when  we  suddenly  beheld,  abou  t  a 
hundred  yards  before  us,  that  identical,  bad  old  wolf. 
Although  his  head  was  pointing  toward  us,  he  was  so  in- 
tently engaged  in  smelling  something  on  a  rock,  that  he 
did  not  notice  our  approach.  When  within  forty  yards  of 
him  I  levelled  my  rifle  upon  him,  intending  to  shoot  a  ball 
through  his  head,  but  it  missed  its  mark  and  shattered  one 
of  his  fore-paws  just  above  the  joint.  The  old  fellow  rose 
on  his  hind-legs  and  raved  and  bit  at  his  foot,  as  if  he 
thought  something  had  caught  hold  of  him  by  it — not  yet 
having  seen  us.  We  rode  right  upon  him  before  he  saw 
us,  and  what  a  glare  of  wicked  fury  he  then  cast  upon  us  ! 
He  tried  to  run  away,  but  the  soldiers  drew  their  pistols, 
and  before  he  had  gone  two  steps,  he  fell  pierced  with  bul- 
lets. In  his  dying  moments  he  growled  fiercely,  and  would 
no  doubt  have  torn  us  to  pieces,  if  he  could  have  laid  his 
strong  jaws  upon  us.  And  thus  died  the  wicked  old  wolf 
who  ate  up  the  sweet  little  Eed-Riding  Hood,  who  went  to 
take  her  grandmamma  a  basket  of  fruit  and  cakes.  Do 
you  not  think  we  served  him  right  ? 

After  he  had  eaten  up  the  little  Eed-Eiding  Hood,  he 
fled  to  this  grim  and  distant  region,  where  he  thought  he 
would  be  safe  from  the  avengers  of  his  sin  ;  but  vengeance 
pursued  him  even  here,  as  it  will  catch  all  who  commit 
evil  deeds.  Thus  every  time  the  evil-doer  does  an  evil 
thing,  God  at  that  very  moment  plants  a  switch  to  whip 
his  back ;  and  that  switch  will  grow,  and  wherever  the 
14 


314    TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   1'^   TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK: 

evil-doer  may  go  after  that,  that  switch  will  follow  him, 
and  at  last  find  his  back  and  whip  it  well,  The  old  wolf 
didn't  think  of  this  when  he  ate  up  the  good  little  girl ; 
but  don't  you  suppose  he  did  think  of  it  when  he  lay 
pierced  with  bullets,  growling  his  dying  growl  ? 

The  Mexicans  call  these  big  wolves  ^^obos,"  and  the 
Texans  call  them  ''loafers,"  which  is  a  corruption  of  the 
Mexican  word.  Their  backs  are  arched,  somewhat  like 
the  hyena,  and  they  generally  carry  their  heads  close  to 
the  ground,  as  if  smelling  for  something  ;  they  are  as  big 
as  a  large,  stout  dog,  and  their  hair  is  shaggy  and  brindled, 
though  sometimes  it  is  quite  black.  They  are  terrible  on 
calves  and  colts,  and  will  attack  a  grown  animal  when  in 
force,  if  they  happen  to  catch  one  by  himself.  I  have 
never  heard  of  their  attacking  a  man  in  Texas,  and  this  is 
probably  because  they  are  never  driven  to  desperation  by 
hunger.  We  left  him  to  dry  up  on  the  bleak  stones;  for 
there  does  not  seem  to  be  even  a  buzzard  in  this  cheerless 
region  to  eat  him  up. 

What  it  Has  Beei^. — A  Jurassic  Sea. 

At  three,  the  fantastic  forest  and  castles  thinned  out, 
and  grassy  lawns  appeared,  though  there  is  no  water. 
We  dismounted,  and  stripping  our  horses  and  hobbling 
them,  gave  them  liberty.  The  soldiers  reclined  on  the 
grass  and  slept. 

The  conformation  of  this  great  region  seems  to  show 
unmistakably  that  it  was  once  an  inland  sea,  whose  south- 
ern shore  was  probably  at  first  along  the  Azoic  hills  below 
the  San  Saba,  contracting  gradually  to  the  great  backbone 
between  McKavett  and  Kickapoo  Springs  ;  whose  western 
shore  extended  at  least  thus  far,  and  whose  northern  shore 
.  may  have  reached  the  Ked  Kiver.  Its  eastern  shore  prob- 
ably crossed  the  Colorado  above  the  mouth  of  the  Concho, 
extending  northward  to  the  limit  of  Texas,  and  perhaps 


TWO   TH0USA:N^D   miles   in   TEXAS   ON^   HORSEBACK.     315 

beyond.  This  immense  basin  slopes  inward  from  every 
direction,  but  its  deepest  parts  are  probably  along  the  val- 
leys of  the  Concho,  not  far  from  its  southern  border.  The 
altitude  of  Fort  Concho  is  only  one  thousand  nine  hun- 
dred feet  above  the  sea,  while  that  of  the  great  ridge  below 
Kickapoo  Springs,  and  this  on  which  I  stand,  must  be 
quite  a  thousand  feet  higher.  This  sea  in  drying  up  left 
enormous  deposits  of  gypsum,  great  beds  and  areas  of  salt 
and  other  alkalies,  with  which  all  the  streams  that  flow 
through  its  ancient  bed  are  more  or  less  impregnated.  This 
sea,  as  I  believe,  existed  during  the  Jurassic  Age.  The 
geologists  who  have  written  of  this  region,  from  observa- 
tions at  telescopic  distance,  or  no  observations  at  all,  have 
all  assigned  it  to  the  Cretaceous  ;  but  my  judgment  is  that 
there  is  little  or  no  Cretaceoiis  in  it.  I  have  seen  no  fossils 
to  confirm  this  judgment ;  but  this  great  basin  in  its  gen- 
eral outlines  is  totally  unlike  the  Cretaceous  as  developed 
in  other  portions  of  Texas,  or  elsewhere.  Kor  has  that 
formation  in  any  other  part  of  the  globe,  if  this  be  Creta- 
ceous, developed  such  enormous  deposits  of  gypsum  and 
salt.  If  then  it  is  Cretaceous,  it  is  anomalous  and  without 
precedent.  But  it  is  not  all  Jurassic.  There  are  frequent 
wide  scopes  of  Permian,  to  the  north  and  west,  rich  in 
copper,  and  occasional  spurs  of  Carboniferous  penetrate  it 
from  the  east  and  north-east,  like  that  in  which  true  coal 
is  found  some  miles  above  Fort  Concho.* 

♦  This  portion  of  Texas  has  never  been  geologically  examined,  except  in  a 
most  cursory  way  ;  and  as  it  is  not  always  easy  to  distinguish  Jurassic  from  Cre- 
taceous fossils — many  of  them  being  similar— it  is  not  strange  that  this  region 
has  been  written  Cretaceous.  The  late  State  Geologist,  Prof.  Buckley,  rode 
over  it  in  an  ambulance,  not  deviating  from  the  El  Paso  stage  road.  In  his  re 
port,  he  seems  to  support  the  general  view,  yet  seems  to  have  little  confidence 
in  his  own  opinion.  In  a  letter  to  the  writer  of  this  note,  who  inquired  as  to  the 
age  of  rocks  about  Kickapoo  Springs,  he  says :  "  They  may  be  Lower  Silurian." 
There  is  probably  little  reason  to  doubt  that  our  traveller's  view  in  regard  to  the 
predominance  of  Jurassic  in  this  region  will  be  confirmed  by  careful  observations. 
Gen.  Egbert  F.  Viele,  late  of  the  U.  S.  Army,  a  thorough  geologist,  who  has  seen 
much  of  this  country,  sustained  this  view  in  a  conversation  with  the  writer  in 
New  York. 


316     TWO   THOUSAKD   MILES   IN^   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK. 


Plaiks. 

He  who  has  seen  the  treeless  expanses,  dead  level,  or 
apparently  so,  over  which  the  Pacific  Railroad  runs,  must 
remember  that  the  Texas  plains  are  an  entirely  different 
thing.  They  are  generally  rolling,  like  the  billows  of  a 
mighty  sea  ;  or  varied  with  beautiful  table-lands,  or  lofty 
solitary  mounds,  or  chains  of  mountains.  There  is  no 
monotony  here.  The  mind  has  no  chance  to  grow  weary. 
It  has  perpetual  occupation,  mostly  beautiful  and  always 
interesting.  The  occasional  barren  and  dismal  spots  only 
serve  to  increase  the  beauty  of  the  rest. 

A  Voice  iisr  the  Wilderness. 

Arousing  my  cavalry  we  journeyed  on,  and  soon  rode 
into  a  starlight  night,  which  sometimes  softened  the  as- 
perity of  the  grim-visaged  region,  and  sometimes  veiled  it 
in  more  hideous  mystery.  After  a  few  hours  a  long,  low, 
black  line  rose  against  the  western  horizon,  growing  higher 
and  higher  as  we  drew  nearer.  That,  said  I,  must  be 
another  of  those  strange  and  sudden  elevations  of  the  ter- 
ritory— another  round  in  Jacob's  Ladder  ;  either  that  or  a 
great  wall  of  stone. 

^^If  we  do  not  find  water  there,"  said  Jones  Johns, 
'^  what  will  our  poor  horses  do  ?  They  can  now  hardly 
stagger  along." 

"  They  can  sip  dew  from  the  grass.  The  cool  night 
will  be  kind  to  them." 

^^  And  what  if  there  is  no  grass  ?  "  said  John  Powell. 
^'li  we  are  put  afoot  in  this  region,  it  is  death,  and  it 
stares  us  in  the  face  now." 

"  Never  mind ;  our  time  is  not  yet,  boys.  We  will 
reach  the  haven." 

The  position  was  undoubtedly  an  ugly  one.  We  know 
not  whither  we  are  going,  or  how  long  the  way  ;  for  we 


TWO   THOUSAIS^D   MILES   11^   TEXAS   OX    HORSEBACK.    317 

had  seen  enough  of  the  maps  of  Texas  to  know  that  they 
are  totally  unreliable  in  their  delineation  of  this  Terra 
Incognita. 

The  great  black  line  now  seemed  to  have  a  gentle  sway- 
ing motion  at  its  apex,  at  times  concealing  and  then  re- 
vealing the  white  stars  that  rested  upon  it.  The  wind 
brought  an  aromatic  odor  to  our  nostrils.  That,  com- 
rades, said  I,  is  a  great  belt  of  forest.  There  we  shall  find 
water  and  rest. 

When  quite  near  it,  it  seemed  an  enormous  mass  of 
black  foliage.  What  manner  of  gigantic  trees  are  these, 
wrapped  in  dense  foliage  from  base  to  summit? 

We  stood  under  their  limbs,  on  the  brink  of  a  preci- 
pice which  sloped  downward  into  an  apparently  bottomless 
gulf.  We  now  observed,  first  from  the  fragrance,  then 
from  plucking  the  boughs,  that  it  was  a  forest  of  cedars  ; 
which  seemed  to  be  marching  out  of  the  gulf,  and  yet  had 
not  planted  their  feet  upon  the  firm  ground  above.  Where 
we  stood  on  the  edge  of  the  bluff,  these  great  trees  towered 
a  hundred  feet  above  our  heads,  and  half  their  length  ap- 
peared limbless.  We  felt  our  way  cautiously  down  the 
bluff  in  utter  darkness,  completely  obscured  from  each 
other,  and  our  horses'  feet  making  no  sound  on  the  sur- 
face, strewn  thick  with  the  fallen  leaves  of  the  cedars ; 
emerging  at  last  suddenly  into  the  starlight  on  a  broad 
open  plain,  without  tree  or  bush.  The  great  cedars,  the 
grandest  I  ever  saw — the  grandest  that  even  the  eternal 
angels  ever  beheld — stopped  short  at  the  foot  of  the  de- 
clivity, not  passing  an  inch  beyond.  Turning  to  look  up- 
on them,  it  was  as  a  solid  wall  of  forest,  extending  north 
and  south  beyond  the  vision,  the  trunks  as  straight  as  the 
line  of  a  plumb,  without  a  branch  from  fifty  to  seventy- 
five  feet  above  the  ground.  Can  I  be  mistaken  that  it  is 
the  grandest  forest  in  the  world  ?  And  to  scorn  the  fer- 
tile soil,  hugging  only  the  stony  cliffs  of  a  precipice  !    Is 


318     TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IJiT   TEXAS   ON    HORSEBACK. 

not  that  odd,  especially  in  yiew  of  their  rich,  resinous 
wood  ? 

The  grass  reaches  up  to  our  saddles,  cool  and  dripping 
with  dew  ;  and  as  our  poor  horses  were  greatly  jaded,  we 
unbridled  them  and  gave  them  rope, — we  in  the  mean- 
time reclining  under  the  great  cedars,  inhaling  their  aro- 
matic fragrance. 

^' Where  will  we  turn  up  next?"  said  John  Powell. 

"On  the  banks  of  a  mighty,  silent  river,  whose  waves 
once  beat  upon  the  top  of  this  cliff;  a  river  that  hur- 
ried to  the  ocean,  itself  an  ocean — thrice  grander  than  the 
Mississippi." 

'^How  far  ?"  said  John  Powell. 

"Thisisits  valley  !" 

'^Joyful!  Joyful!"  exclaimed  Jones  Johns:  "then 
we  shall  soon  drink.  ISFot  a  drop  in  my  canteen  since  Skele- 
ton Plain,  and  I  have  been  chewing  a  bullet  these  two 
hours  p^st." 

In  less  than  half  an  hour,  our  horses  had  garnered 
their  granaries  full,  and  fell  to  nibbling  at  tit-bits.  It  is 
time  to  move  on,  comrades  !  We  had  bridled  them  and 
were  coiling  up  the  ropes. 

"Blazes  I  what  is  that  ?"  said  Jones  Johns. 

A  deep,  tremendous  roar  from  the  cliff  resounded 
through  the  valley,  unlike  anything  I  had  heard  before. 
Again  it  broke  upon  the  silence,  with  modulations  or 
waves  of  sound,  as  if  the  object  that  made  it  was  swaying 
to  and  fro.  It  was  deep,  guttural  and  hoarse,  and  seemed 
to  tell  of  strength  and  ferocity.  This  came  from  the  cliff 
just  above  us.  Another  responded,  deeper  and  hoarser,  a 
few^  hundred  yards  below.  Our  horses  were  no  less  moved 
than  we.     "  Boys,"  said  I,  "  it  is  time  to  go." 

We  rode  away  into  the  valley  as  silently  as  skulking 
wolves,  speaking  not  a  word,  and  often  looking  back 
through  the  darkness.     Twice  again  in  quick  succession 


TWO   TH0USA:!^D   miles   12^  TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.     319 

the  air  trembled  with  the  deep  roars,  apparently  as  near  as 
when  we  first  heard  it. 

^'  Buffalo  bulls  ! "  said  John  Powell  in  a  suppressed 
voice. 

^^  Never  !"  said  I.  ^^  That  is  the  voice  of  some  fero- 
cious beast  of  prey  that  is  on  our  tracks.  Keep  watch  to 
the  rear." 

Passing  rapidly  on,  we  were  stopped  at  length  on  the 
very  brink  of  the  silent  river ;  on  the  verge  of  its  waters 
before  we  saw  it.  It  was  of  inky  blackness  and  seemed  a 
dead  sea  river.  Shall  we  plunge  and  cross,  or  shall  we  stay 
here  and  take  our  chances  with  those  beasts  ?  I  dropped" 
a  line  in  the  water  and  found  it  ten  feet  deep  at  the  bank, 
which  is  six  feet  perpendicular  above  the  water.  We 
could  not  distinctly  see  the  opposite  shore,  but  there  also 
was  the  appearance  of  a  steep  bluff.  We  concluded  we 
would  rather  risk  the  roarers  than  plunge  into  such  a  river 
in  the  darkness. 

We  soon  found  a  slope  or  cut  in  the  bank  which  ad- 
mitted our  horses  to  the  water.  They  drank  and  snorted, 
and  snorted  and  drank,  greatly  to  our  disgust,  as  we  de- 
sired things  to  be  as  quiet  as  possible.  We  staked  them 
on  the  tall  grass,  but  instead  of  eating,  they  immediately 
laid  down  and  slept.  Lighting  a  match  and  viewing  my 
watch,  it  was  near  midnight.  We  had  travelled  over  fifty 
miles  since  sunrise. 

We  spread  our  blankets  close  to  the  bank,  intending 
to  be  safe  from  attack  on  one  side  at  least.  We  deemed 
it  not  good  policy  to  fall  asleep  at  once,  but  as  the  weary 
moments  passed  on,  and  nothing  remarkable  occurred,  we 
entered  the  land  of  Nod.  Once  during  the  night  we  were 
disturbed  by  a  splash  in  the  water,  as  if  some  heavy  body 
had  leaped  or  fallen  into  it,  followed  for  some  moments  by 
a  struggling  sound;  but  nothing  came  of  it.  We  slept  on 
the  bank  of  the  mighty  Pecos. 


DIVISION  VL 


I. 


A  Morning  Bath. 

"TTT^HE^  we  awoke,  the  sun  was  discharging  his  glory 
VV  from  a  lofty  altitude.  It  was  a  bright,  sparkling 
morning,  the  ^^ sweet  south"  whispering  to  us  long  life 
and  good  cheer.  How  the  radiant  grasses  glistened  like  a 
field  of  diamonds,  with  their  myriads  of  dew-drops  !  I 
had  slept  gloriously,  and  felt  like  a  young  lion,  as  I  shook 
the  dew-drops  from  my  flanks.  Now  compare  me  here 
with  one  who  has  waked  from  a  debauched  night  in  the 
cities,  languid  and  feverish ;  and  which  does  Nature, 
who  made  us,  love  the  more  ?  If  she  had  a  crown  to  be- 
stow, upon  whose  brow  would  she  bestow  it  ?  Nature  ! 
make  me  pure  as  thou  art  pure,  and  immerse  all  my  heart 
in  love  of  thee  !  Then  I  know  that  the  crown  will  await 
me,  and  like  the  humming-bird,  I  shall  taste  only  of  the 
beautiful,  and  linger  along  labyrinths  of  flowers  ! 

*'I  feel  that  I  could  eat  a  wolf,"  said  Jones  Johns. 

"  I  feel  that  I  could  get  away  with  half  a  buifalo  ;"  said 
John  Powell. 

*^  Wouldn't  a  fat  steak  in  a  bowl  of  gi^avy,  and  a  pile 
of  hot  biscuits,  and  a  pot  of  hot  coffee,  and  a  dish  of  bacon 
and  beans,  and  a  plate  of  ham  and  eggs,  and  a  dish  of 
fried   inguns,  and  a  bunch  of  fresh  celery  be  good  this 


TWO   THOUSAKD   MILES   IN  TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK.     321 

morning — and  a  plate  of  broiled  mutton  chops  and  a 
stewed  mackerel  swimming  in  butter  ? "  said  Jones 
Johns. 

And  his  mouth  watered,  and  he  spat  copiously  while  he 
spake.  ^^  Never  mind,  boys,  we  shall  have  all  of  these 
when  we  get  to  the  next  post.  In  the  meantime,  for  break- 
fast we  shall  fare  well." 

What  a  funny  river,  if  it  be  not  a  perversion  to  say 
funny  of  what  is  so  great !  Not  a  tree,  nor  a  twig  along 
its  banks ;  nothing  but  grass — grass,  which  musters  in 
heavy  force  upon  the  brink  of  the  steep  bank  and  leans 
over  to  kiss  the  water  ;  so  that  the  presence  of  the  river  can- 
not be  suspected  until  the  voyager  is  on  the  verge  of  tum- 
bling into  it.  I  said  it  was  silent.  So  it  is ;  but  still  ? 
Never !  It  sweeps  by  like  a  courier  race-horse  on  an 
errand.  Toss  a  stem  of  grass  into  it,  and  it  disappears 
almost  as  quickly  ^^as  snow-flakes  on  the  river."  And  all 
this  without  the  sound  of  a  ripple,  or  a  murmur.  The 
motion  of  the  winged  messengers  of  the  deep  is  described 
as  '^  smooth  gliding  without  step  ;"  and  so  of  the  mighty 
Pecos  as  he  sweeps  by  to  pay  his  tribute  to  the  Bravo. 
He  seems  bewitched.  I  said — '^Boys,  let  us  cross  the 
river,  and  then  we  shall  eat ! " 

Revisiting  the  narrow  passage  which  led  to  the  water, 
I  saw  a  similar  passage  on  the  other  shore,  but  a  huge 
cedar  log  was  lodged  across  it,  its  ends  resting  against  the 
bank  of  the  river,  above  and  below.  Unless  we  dislodge 
that  log  we  cannot  get  our  horses  across,  owing  to  the 
steepness  of  the  bank  elsewhere  and  the  depth  of  the  water. 
I  said  I  will  go  and  dislodge  that  log. 

Disrobing  myself,  I  lit  into  the  river  and  sank  out  of 
sight  When  I  returned  to  the  surface,  I  had  been  swept 
many  feet  out  of  the  line,  but  being  a  strong  swimmer  I 
shot  over  the  water  as  freely  as  a  duck.  And  sure  it  was 
cool,  like  a  snow-julep.  Nevertheless,  I  dropped  my  line 
14* 


322    TWO   THOUSAIS^D   MILES   IK   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK. 

leisurely  a  hundred  feet  from  shore,  and  it  measured  thirty 
feet  in  depth  !  Crawling  over  the  log,  I  thought  I  would 
stand  on  the  bottom  and  shove  it  off  from  shore  ;  so  let- 
ting go  all  hold,  I  slid  downward  far  over  my  bead,  with- 
out finding  anything  to  stand  upon.  Rising  again  to  the 
surface,  I  grasped  the  log  with  both  hands,  and  throwing 
my  body  prone  on  the  flood,  endeavored  to  put  the  mass 
in  motion  by  vigorously  kicking  with  my  heels.  At  last 
it  moved  slowly,  then  more  rapidly,  till  swaying  out  in 
the  stream,  it  glided  rapidly  away.  I  swung  around  with 
the  butt  end  till  it  reached  the  point  for  my  departure, 
when  a  few  vigorous  strokes  landed  me  in  fine  humor  on 
the  eastern  shore.  I  thought  of  the  youth  who  nightly 
swam  the  Hellespont  to  bask  in  the  sunlight,  and  the 
moonlight,  and  the  starlight  of  his  sweetheart's  eyes  : 
with  this  difference,  that  while  he  crossed  to  dally  with 
love,  I  crossed  to  dislodge  a  log.  I  wonder  how  Leander 
transported  his  clothes  on  that  trip;  or  did  he  leave  them 
on  shore  and  interview  Hero,  naked  ? 

We  now  saddled  up,  and  while  thus  engaged,  I  observed 
that  my  companions  had  fallen  quite  sedate  and  contem- 
plative ;  saying  nothing,  but  now  and  then  curiously  eying 
the  great  rapid  river,  as  if  they  were  mentally  saying  to  it 
— ''  You  big,  ugly  thing  !"  They  clearly  had  a  dread  of 
it,  akin  to  superstition.  The  soldiers  then  stripped,  and 
we  fastened  our  clothing  securely  to  the  horns  of  our  sad- 
dles, and  rolling  our  guns  and  ammunition  up  in  the 
blankets,  tied  them  behind  the  saddles. 

''  Now,  boys,"  said  I,  '^et  us  cross  one  at  a  time.  If 
we  all  go  together,  some  confusion  may  result.  I  will  go 
first." 

Taking  my  horse  to  the  river,  spurring  him  gently,  he 
smelt  the  water,  and  trembled  and  snorted.  He  reared 
back  to  the  right  and  left  several  times,  refusing  to  take 
the  plunge ;  but  at  last,  seeing  that  he  had  to  do  so,  he 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN"   TEXAS   OJS"   HORSEBACK.      323 

stuck  out  his  left  fore  foot  into  the  water,  cautiously,  as  if 
feeling  for  bottom ;  but  not  finding  any,  he  lost  his  bal- 
ance and  tumbled  headlong  into  the  current.  We  sank 
under  the  surface,  and  for  a  moment  everything  was  con- 
fusion. I  believe  we  rolled  over,  but  of  this  I  am  not  sure, 
for  the  position  was  not  favorable  to  taking  observations. 
I  was  conscious  of  a  very  great  uproar,  and  clasped  my 
heels  about  the  horse  with  all  my  strength.  Eecovering 
himself,  he  rose  into  daylight,  and  struck  out  splendidly 
to  the  opposite  shore,  describing  a  great  curve  before  he 
reached  the  landing.  He  bounded  to  the  high  land,  and 
at  once  shook  his  skin  so  prodigiously  that  my  seat  was 
extremely  disagreeable,  and  I  bounded  off  as  quick  as  pos- 
sible. 

''  Now,  Jones  Johns  !"  I  exclaimed  across  the  water. 

His  horse  slipped  in  at  once,  like  a  turtle  sliding  oif  a 
rock  ;  sank  out  of  sight  a  moment,  all  save  his  nose  and 
tail,  and  bore  the  soldier  bravely  across,  almost  in  a  direct 
line.  ^^Oo-wee!  she  is  cold  though,  I  tell  you;"  said 
he  as  he  leaped  to  the  turf.  ''  I  tell  you,  comrade,  you'd 
better  wrap  your  wool  close  around  yoii  ! " 

''  Now,  John  Powell ! " 

His  horse  commenced  acting  foolishly  at  once,  smelling 
and  snorting  as  if  he  imagined  the  devil  was  in  the  water. 
Urged  by  the  spur,  he  reared  and  flung  himself  to  the 
right  so  violently  that  the  soldier  was  nearly  displaced 
from  the  saddle.  Again  he  attempted  this  when  brought 
to  the  brink,  rearing  high  in  the  air  ;  but  this  time  he 
made  a  miscalculation.  His  left  hind  foot  slipped  over 
the  precipice,  and  his  body  came  tumbling  after,  falling 
into  the  river  apparently  with  back  down  and  heels  up. 
For  a  moment  I  thought  we  should  have  a  funeral ;  but 
when  the  horse  righted  himself,  the  soldier  was  still  stick- 
ing bravely  to  his  back,  with  both  arms  around  his  neck, 
his  mouth  full  and  his  eyes  blinded  with  water.     Had 


o24    TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN^   TEXAS   O:^   HORSEBACK. 

there  not  been  a  sense  of  danger,  the  picture  would  have 
been  extremely  ludicrous  as  the  soldier  emerged  to  the 
surface.  By  this  time,  they  were  swept  fifty  feet  down 
stream,  the  horse  behaving  well,  but  apparently  in  confu- 
sion. The  soldier,  recovering  his  sight  and  faculties,  gen- 
tly guided  him  with  the  rein,  and  he  came  rapidly  across, 
but  struck  the  bank  far  below  the  landing.  Up  along  the 
bank  they  navigated,  the  tall  grass  wiping  the  soldier's 
face,  until  he  was  deposited  safely  on  shore. 

''  Drat  your  blasted  hide  of  you  ! "  said  he,  as  he  leaped 
off  and  looked  at  his  excited  and  snorting  steed  ;  ^^  that's 
what  you  git  by  being  a  d — d  lunacy.  It's  the  last  time  I'll 
ventur  in  a  river  on  your  back  ! " 

Our  first  care  was  to  examine  our  ammunition,  which 
to  our  great  satisfaction  we  found  uninjured.  Then 
spreading  our  clothing  on  the  tall  grass  to  dry,  we  pro- 
ceeded, in  primitive  nakedness,  to  prepare  breakfast.  Pro- 
curing branches  of  drifted  cedar,  we  soon  had  a  roaring 
fire,  on  which  we  cooked  coffee  and  buffalo  meat.  It  was 
eleven  o'clock  before  our  clothing  was  dry  enough  to  put 
on ;  when  we  rode  up  the  valley  some  twenty  miles,  and 
again  halted. 

The  Most  Eemarkable  Kiver  in^  the  World. 

This  is  the  most  remarkable  river  in  the  world,  and 
flows  through  the  most  remarkable  country.  It  rises 
about  latitude  36*^,  and  empties  into  the  Eio  Grande  about 
29°  40'.  Thus,  its  direct  course  is  about  four  hundred 
and  fifty  miles,  but  so  great  is  its  sinuosity  that  it  traverses 
not  less  than  eighteen  hundred  miles  before  reaching  its 
debouchment.  In  this  eccentricity,  there  is  no  other  river 
that  is  its  fellow.  Meander  is  a  straight  line  by  the  side 
of  my  Pecos.  I  drew  this  picture  of  his  course,  which  I 
protest  is  accurate,  or  as  nearly  so  as  I  could  make  it  with- 
out the  aid  of  engineer's  tools. 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   1^  TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.     3'<j5 


And  while  this  is  a  marvel  of  crookedness,  I  believe  from 
others  who  have  travelled  along  its  banks  a  much  greater 
distance,  that  it  does  not  tell  half  the  story.  And  yet,  as 
the  picture  shows,  with  all  this  unprecedented  tortuosity  of 
the  stream  itself,  its  valley  is  so  straight  that  one  can 
scarcely  perceive  that  it  has  a  curvature.  Another  re- 
markable feature  is  that  it  seldom  touches  the  wall  of  the 
valley,  but  pursues  its  rapid  career  as  near  the  centre  as 
possible,  one  to  three  miles  from  either  side.  Its  tremen- 
dous current  and  the  soft,  melting  soil  of  the  valley,  make 
this  the  more  singular. 

The  rapidity  of  this  river  is  the  strangest  thing  to  one 
who  rides  upon  its  banks.  He  sees  a  channel  without  a 
stone,  and  a  wide  valley  as  level  as  a  floor,  and  yet  the 
silent  river  rushes  by  him  like  a  charger.  The  Mississippi, 
that  travels  forty-one  hundred  miles,  has  no  such  current 
as  this;  not  the  half  of  it ;  not  the  fourth  of  it.  It  bowls 
along  over  the  smooth  bed  six  or  seven  miles  an  hour ; 
which  is  swifter  far  than  any  other  deep  river  in  the 
world,  except  Niagara,  after  it  has  been  tortured  into  the 
chasm  between  the  Falls  and  Lewiston  ;  and  if  it  were 
not  so  tortuous,  it  would  nearly  match  that  seething, 
arrowy  river.  Its  tortuosity  impedes  its  impetuosity  at 
least  one  half,  as  1  estimate  ;  so  that  if  its  channel  were 
straight,  it  would  dash  along  at  the  rate  of  twelve  to  four- 
teen miles  an  hour  :  a  force  sufficient  to  tear  up  the  solid 
strata  and  cut  its  way  into  the  fiery  nucleus  at  last. 


326     TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IX   TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK. 


The   Cause   of  it. — The  Haj^-d  of  the  Architect. 

The  Pecos  rises  on  the  Llano  Estacado,  and  flows  over 
it  along  its  whole  course.  This  is  a  vast  table-land,  tilted 
over  toward  the  south-east.  It  is  said  to, be  five  thousand 
feet  above  the  sea  at  its  upper  rim,  and  one  thousand  feet 
at  its  lower.  I  can  now  perceive  that  the  first  altitude 
is  probably  under-estimated.  My  Pecos  rises  near  the 
upper  rim  and  flows  over  four  hundred  miles  over  the 
great  tilted  table.  This  would  give  it  a  fall  of  about  ten 
feet  to  the  mile  ;  and  when  it  is  considered  that  the  avei- 
age  fall  of  the  Mississippi  is  only  about  three  inches  to  the 
mile,  it  can  be  readily  perceived  what  an  extraordinary 
creature  my  Pecos  must  be,  and  how  vastly  more  furious 
he  would  be,  were  he  not  held  in  check  by  the  extraordi- 
nary sinuosities  through  which  nature  has  compelled  him 
to  grope  his  way. 

This  unmatched  and  unmatchable  sinuosity,  in  so 
straight  a  valley,  is  unaccountable  by  any  natural  law  that 
I  can  think  of.  The  course  of  an  arrow  through  the  air 
is  straight,  and  water  flows  in  straight  lines  over  smooth 
surfaces.  In  this  strange  land  nature  works  in  mysterious 
ways  ;  and  I  can  only  perceive  in  this  apparent  eccen- 
tricity, the  hand  of  the  Architect  compelling  my  Pecos  to 
do  his  full  duty.  Were  he  not  restrained  by  the  sinuosi- 
ties, he  would  shoot  over  the  great  tilted  table  so  rapidly 
that  his  volume  would  not  be  half  what  it  is.  The  sinuos- 
ities are  great  natural  locks  that  hold  him  in  check  and 
utilize  his  waters  and  their  fertilizing  sediments.  The 
thirsty  soil  needs  all  the  drink  and  food  he  can  give  it,  and 
therefore  the  Architect  compels  him  to  wander  through 
labyrinths,  offering  his  cooling  draughts  to  millions  of 
acres  that  would  not  enjoy  him  if  he  dashed  over  the  great 
taole  in  a  straight  line. 

Its  banks  are  as  perpendicular  as  the  walls  of  an  edifice, 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IK   TEXAS   ON"   HOKSEBACK.     327 

rising  six  feet  above  the  water,  to  the  level  of  the  valley, 
composed  of  mud,  which  on  drying,  falls  into  an  impal- 
pable powder.  An  animal  may  wander  along  its  banks  half 
a  day  without  finding  a  point  where  he  may  drink.  In- 
deed, in  my  twenty  miles  ride  along  it  I  saw  but  one  point 
on  either  side  where  he  could  do  so ;  and  these  were  the 
artificial  excavations  where  we  crossed. 

His  Watek. 

It  is  the  most  remarkable  fluviatile  compound  in  the 
world.  Jones  Johns  was  very  thirsty  when  we  reached  the 
river.  He  took  a  rapid  and  heavy  draught,  and  smacking 
his  lips  a  moment,  said:  '^My  God!  all  them  buffaloes 
and  wild  horses  is  camped  on  this  river,  and  their  dreen- 
age  has  pizened  it  ! "  The  first  sensation  in  the  mouth  is 
a  slimy  saltness,  as  if  salt  had  been  melted  in  soapy  water  ; 
next  a  faint  sweetness,  followed  by  a  distinct  bitter,  finally 
winding  up  with  a  distinct  taste  of  ley.  It  is  cool  and  in- 
odorous, and  its  disagreeable  taste  is  quite  vanquished  by 
holding  the  nose  as  you  drink.  Coffee  boiled  in  it  is  a 
villainous  decoction.  .  The  physician  who  compounded  this 
great  river  of  physic  probably  wrote  the  prescription  about 
thus  : 

1,000,000  tons       Mu.  Sod. 

400,000    "  Sulph. 

1,000,000    "  Cin.  Lig. 

4,000,000  gallons  Tinct.  amarg. 
Aqua  Pluv.  quant,  suf. 
Shake  well  till  dissolved  and  repeat  ad  infiri. 

This  shows  the  remarkable  region  through  which  it 
flows:  a  great  natural  laboratory,  composed  mainly  of  beds 
and  mountains  of  salt  and  gypsum. 

The  Nile  akd  My  Pecos. 
The  Nile,  through  all  ages,  has  been  considered  one  of 


328     TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   I:N^   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK. 

the  wonders  of  the  world,  in  that  it  flows  a  thousand  miles 
without  a  tributary.  But  my  Pecos  beats  it.  I  question 
if  during  its  career  of  one  thousand  eight  hundred  miles, 
over  a  region  which  often  does  not  receive  a  drop  of  rain 
for  six  months  at  a  time,  it  has  a  single  tributary  that  con- 
stantly discharges  into  it.  On  the  maps  there  are  several 
long,  crooked  black  marks,  called  Rio  so-and-so,  which 
would  lead  the  unwary  to  suppose  that  they  are  rivers 
emptying  into  the  Pecos  ;  but  let  him  visit  them,  and  he 
will  surely  find  that  these  black  marks  with  sounding 
names,  are  desolate  ravines,  with  abysmal  pools  here  and 
there,  or  perhaps  a  feeble  rill  with  an  enormous  channel, 
sinking  after  a  short  distance  into  burning  sands,  or  disap- 
pearing under  a  yawning  chasm.  The  Nile  bursts  from  a 
grand  mountain  lake,  lifted  above  the  continent,  starting 
on  his  proud  course  a  warrior  full-armed  at  birth,  refreshed 
as  he  goes  by  the  melting  snows  of  the  Lunar  Mountains  ; 
but  my  Pecos,  more  worth  renown,  emerges  a  puny,  sickly 
infant  from  a  poor  ravine,  gathers  strength  as  he  goes, 
and  cuts  his  way  unaided  through  one  thousand  eight  hun- 
dred miles  of  desert ;  and  not  a  snow-clad  mountain  on  his 
line  to  offer  him  an  iced  julep  as  he  plunges  along.  Let 
the  Nile  strip  off  his  laurels,  and  place  them  on  the  brow  of 
my  Pecos.  The  Nile  has  his  periods  of  swell,  after  which 
he  collapses  for  ten  or  eleven  months  into  a  common 
thing  :  my  Pecos  rolls  so  grandly  at  all  times  that  he  is 
hardly  conscious  of  a  swell  when  he  takes  one.  The  Nile 
has  enriched  a  nation,  that  gave  letters  and  civilization  to 
the  world  ;  and  my  Pecos  has  enriched  a  nation  that  has 
yet  to  be. 

The  Soil.— lEEiGATioi^  akd  Navigation^. 

The  soil  of  this  great  valley,  composed  of  the  lime,  sul- 
phur and  salt  sediments  of  the  river,  with  the  accumula- 
ted rotted  matter  of  the  rank  grasses,  is  of  course,  of  amaz- 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IK   TEXAS   OJST   HORSEBACK.     329 

ing  fertility.  There  is  not  one  foot  of  it  that  is  not  fer- 
tility itself.  All  the  crops  of  Texas  would  here  luxuriate, 
if  supplied  with  regular  moisture,  and  I  know  of  no  valley 
that  may  be  more  easily  irrigated.  Smooth  as  a  floor,  and 
falling  regularly  ten  feet  or  more  to  the  mile,  there  are 
probably  few  points  on  the  river  from  which  a  ditch  would 
not  bring  the  fertilizing  water  to  the  surface  three-quarters 
of  a  mile  below.  A  ditch  ten  miles  in  length  and  eight 
feet  in  depth  would  flood  the  valley  to  a  great  distance. 
How  easy  to  construct  these  with  locks  so  as  to  irrigate 
every  foot  !  Thus,  this  great  valley,  now  without  an  in- 
habitant save  vagabond  savages,  is  capable  of  supporting  a 
nation  in  itself ;  whose  products  might  be  borne  to  the 
Rio  Grande  on  boats,  thence  to  the  navigable  water  of  that 
river  by  rafts  or  teams.  A  railroad  to  this  valley  would 
make  it  at  once  a  garden  of  wealth,  receiving  in  turn  a 
trade  which  would  soon  enrich  itself.  The  river  is  two 
hundred  feet  in  width,  and  at  no  point  where  I  saw  it,  less 
than  ten  to  thirty  feet  in  depth.  On  account  of  its  rapid 
curves  it  would  require  a  peculiar  steamer  to  navigate  it, 
but  human  ingenuity  would  soon  build  such  a  craft.  The 
water  is  dark  and  turbid,  bearing  an  immense  amount  of 
sediment.  I  estimate  the  rich  agricultural  lands  of  this 
remarkable  valley  at  not  less  than  two  millions  of  acres. 


n. 


Adam's  Curse. — Fantastic  Shapes. 

TUENING  west,  from  the  seat  of  the  unborn  giant,  we 
rode  into  a  region  of  disheartening  aspect.  We  had 
stepped  out  of  Eden  into  Gehenna.  As  far  as  I  could 
sweep  with  my  glass,  scarcely  a  blade  of  grass,  but  a  dead 
expanse  of  naked  ground,  with  Spanish  daggers  scattered 
like  skirmishers  in  advance  of  a  battle,  fantastic  castles  of 
the  Floral  Fiend,  and  numerous  thickets  of  sage  brush, 
almost  impenetrable  from  their  myriads  of  spines.  Every- 
thing is  armed  with  points  keener  than  needles.  Surely, 
Adam's  curse  has  fallen  heavily  upon  this  abandoned  tract : 
*^  Thorns  also  and  thistles  shall  it  bring  forth  to  thee." 

And  yet  this  melancholy  scene  is  not  devoid  of  a  certain 
sort  of  interest.  Solitary  granitic  and  porphyritic  cones  rise 
fifty  to  two  hundred  feet  above  the  plain,  some  of  them  pol- 
ished as  smoothly  as  glass  ;  then,  here  and  there  a  great  wall 
of  massive  basalt  rises  abruptly,  extending  hundreds  of  yards 
north  and  south  or  north-east  and  south-west.  One  of 
these  looked  so  like  a  giant  fortress,  that  we  rode  out  of  our 
way  to  stand  under  its  shadow.  We  supposed  it  to  be  two 
hundred  feet  high — its  walls  perfectly  perpendicular,  and 
not  an  atom  of  soil  upon  it.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  no  hu- 
man being  ever  trod  on  this  thing's  back.  The  walls  of 
this  also  were  in  places  polished  so  smoothly  that  a  fly 
could  scarcely  crawl  up  them.  If  this  is  not  glacial  action, 
I  am  not  able  to  comprehend  it,  I  believe  therefore  that 
this  region  has  been  the  scene  of  great  glaciers.     Under 


TWO   THOUSAlirD   MILES   12^-  TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK.     331 

the  walls  of  this  monstrous  fortress,  a  colony  of  prairie- 
dogs  had  built  their  city,  in  the  barren,  waterless  waste. 

Toward  sunset  we  rode  upon  the  wide,  desolate  chan- 
nel of  a  dried  up  creek,  filled  with  fractured  limestone  and 
mounds  of  white,  glittering  sand.  Following  it  up  a  few 
miles,  we  found  a  bright  clear  pool,  into  which  ran  a  smart 
brook.  It  here  met  its  death,  and  sank  in  the  depths  of 
sand.  There  was  a  little  valley  of  excellent  grass,  and  we 
took  up  quarters  for  the  night.  With  fagots  of  sage-brush 
we  cooked  some  coffee,  and  ate  cheese  and  crackers. 


III. 


The  Rose  in*  the  Wildeekess. — What  it  would  be. 

AT  daylight  resumed  our  journey,  arriving  at  Fort 
Stock  fcon  after  noon,  fifty- two  miles  from  the  Pecos. 
It  was  stepping  out  of  Gehenna  again  into  Eden.  Behind 
us  was  all  aridity,  abhorrence  and  desolation  ;  before  us, 
green  fields,  rich  gardens,  bubbling  fountains  and  all 
efflorescence.  A  sweeter  surprise  it  is  impossible  to  con- 
ceive. We  felt  like  a  caravan  entering  a  sweet  oasis  in 
the  desert,  and  I  never  before  fully  comprehended  what 
these  bright  oases  are.  They  are  life  and  joy  in  the 
midst  of  death  ;  they  are  the  glimpses  of  heaven  ;  and  I 
suspect  that  the  eastern  poets  drew  from  them  their  rich 
pictures  of  the  Abode  of  the  Blest. 

This  is  a  military  post  of  the  United  States,  where  six 
companies  of  negro  cavalry  are  quartered.  The  post  sits 
on  a  majestic  hill,  three  thousand  feet  above  the  sea,  from 
the  base  of  which  probably  a  hundred  springs  burst  forth, 
some  of  them  so  large  that  they  are  used  for  baths.  These 
unite  and  run  down  a  valley  as  fertile  as  that  of  the  Pecos, 
over  which  it  is  led  by  a  number  of  ditches,  irrigating 
three  thousand  acres,  whose  crops  are  enriching  the 
farmers.  One  of  these  is  said  to  receive  an  annual  income 
from  his  wheat,  barley  and  corn,  of  ten  thousand  dollars. 
The  El  Paso  grape,  than  which  there  is  none  richer,  here 
flourishes  abundantly.  As  I  looked  upon  this  magnificent 
garden  in  the  desert,  I  said  to  myself  :  ^'This  is  what  the 
Pecos  would  be  if  it  were  irrigated ;  this  is  what  all  the 


TWO   THOUSAND    MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON    HORSEBACK.      333 

wilderness  and  desert  would  be  if  they  had  x\rtesian  wells. 
Who  will  take  the  first  step  to  erect  the  great  wilderness 
into  a  garden  of  luxuriance  ?  Hear  it,  ye  statesmen  and 
law-makers  of  Texas  ! " 

But  bold  as  this  beautiful  creek  is,  it  flags  and  at  last 
fails  utterly  a  few  miles  from  Stockton — drunk  up  by  the 
arid  land  and  clime,  leaving  a  lorn  chasm  of  desolation. 
Suppose  it  were  encouraged  and  assisted  by  an  Artesian 
well  here  and  there  along  its  course,  and  trees  planted  on 
its  banks  to  shade  it  from  the  devouring  sun  :  it  would 
sing  and  sparkle  along  the  whole  line,  ever  fresh  and. 
abundant,  bringing  beauty  to  the  land  and  wealth  and 
happiness  to  thousands. 

The  population,  outside  of  the  military,  appears  to  be 
about  two  hundred,  all  Mexican  laborers,  except  the  few 
American  proprietors.  The  houses  are  all  adobe,  except 
the  quarters  of  the  officers,  which  are  of  stone.  But  one 
tree  grows  at  the  post — a  cotton-wood  fifty  feet  in  height, 
planted  by  the  officers  some  years  ago.  It  seems  to  be  say- 
ing to  every  one  who  beholds  it :  ''  Bring  me  companions — 
you  see  that  we  will  thrive  here."  Fruit  trees  have  been 
lately  introduced,  and  there  can  be  no  question  that  the 
Stocktonians  will  soon  enjoy  the  peach  and  pear  at  their 
boards  as  well  as  the  luscious  grape. 

The  annual  rainfall  here  is  about  fifteen  inches,  some- 
times as  high  as  twenty-five,  nearly  all  of  which  comes 
during  August  and  September.  These  showers  are  at- 
tended with  almost  unprecedented  discharges  of  lightning, 
and  frequently  the  clouds  are  said  to  hang  over  the  land 
for  hours  at  a  time,  doing  nothing  whatever  but  manoeuver- 
ing  and  discharging  peal  after  peal  of  thunder  ;  finally, 
near  the  close  of  day,  separating  and  leaving  a  brilhant 
sunset.  The  mean  winter  temperature  is  about  fifty-five, ' 
and  the  summer  seventy  to  seventy-five.  The  post  sur- 
geon declared  it  to  be  so  healthy  that  no  one  ever  dies  ex- 


334     TWO   THOUSA]SrD   MILES   IN  TEXAS   ON^   HORSEBACK. 

cept  from  ^^old  age,  stupidity  or  violence,  and  we  are  so 
good  a  family  here  that  the  last  rarely  occurs."  They  ob- 
tain their  fuel  from  the  roots  of  the  mesquite,  as  they  do 
at  Concho,  and  it  is  abundant. 

We  bought  a  bushel  of  corn  from  the  sutler  for  four 
dollars,  which  was  an  abominable  extortion,  for  we  learned 
afterwards  that  we  might  have  obtained  it  from  the  farm- 
ers at  two  dollars  and  fifty  cents.  We  bought  a  ham  and 
some  coffee  from  the  same  worthy,  paying  fifty  cents  a 
pound  for  each.  If  that  worthy  has  constituency  enough, 
surely  he  will  grow  rich.  An  old  Mexican  woman  was 
much  more  reasonable.  She  supplied  us  an  excellent  din- 
ner of  soup,  sweet  potatoes,  onions,  eggs,  venison,  hash 
and  bread,  for  fifty  cents  each.  The  soup  and  hash  were 
red-hot  with  red-pepper,  but  tliey  were  fine  nevertheless. 
I  was  so  much  pleased  with  my  meal,  that  I  could  scarcely 
forbear  kissing  the  old  lady's  pretty  daughter,  who  assisted 
her  in  preparing  it. 


IV. 

Eode  to  Leon  Springs,  eight  miles,  over  a  cactus  and 
sage  brush  desolation.  This  is  a  stage  stand  of  the  El  Paso 
mail  line,  and  the  only  remarkable  feature  is  a  marsh  of 
several  hundred  acres,  filled  with  salty  water,  and  covered 
with  a  coarse,  rank,  reedy-looking  growth.  This  is  a  sud- 
den depression  of  the  earth  from  eight  to  ten  feet  below . 
the  level.  The  water  is  so  salty  that  it  is  extremely  dis- 
agreeable to  drink,  and  made  villainous  coffee,  and  yet  it 
is  all  we  had.  Encamped  for  the  night,  feasting  on  fried 
ham  and  buffalo  meat. 


Remakkable  REGioiir. — A  Dolorous  Day. 

FILLING  our  canteens  with  the  salty  water,  at  three 
o'clock  we  were  on  the  march,  riding  south.  When 
day  dawned,  we  saw  the  most  unaccountable  country  in 
the  world,  which  steadily  grew  more  unaccountable  as  we 
moved  on  :  a  lofty,  smooth  plain,  treeless  as  the  ocean,  but 
with  innumerable  varieties  of  cactus  and  thickets  of  sage 
brush  :  ground  for  the  most  part  without  a  wisp  of  grass  : 
isolated  mounds  of  rocks  in  every  direction,  sharped  like  a 
sugar-loaf,  many  of  them  two  hundred  feet  or  more  in 
height,  and  all  smooth  or  polished.  These  were  ejections 
under  the  primitive  sea,  around  which  the  sedimentary 
deposits  have  settled,  till  only  their  peaks  are  exposed. 
But  the  most  peculiar  feature  is  occasional  mounds  of  glit- 
tering white  sand,  sometimes  piled  up  forty  or  fifty  feet 
high,  and  covering  an  acre  or  more.  These  things  glit- 
tered in  the  sun  like  snow-banks,  and  looked  so  strangely 
that  we  rode  some  distance  out  of  the  way  to  examine  the 
first  one.  It  was  composed  of  pure  quartz  sand,  unmixed 
with  any  other  substance.  So  far  as  we  could  observe, 
there  was  very  little  of  this  in  the  soil,  and  their  appear- 
ance here  is  very  perplexing.  The  only  way  that  I  can 
explain  them  is  on  the  supposition  that  they  may  be  the 
remnants  of  mounds  of  solid  quartz  rock  that  once  rose 
above  the  plain,  similar  to  the  cones  of  granite  and  por- 
phyry that  still  stand.  *"' Ah,"  said  Jones  Johns,  contem- 
plating one  of  the  biggest  of  these  things,  'Hhat  would  be 


336     TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK. 

worth  fifty  thousand  dollars  in  San  Antonio.  Here  it  is 
worth  nothing.  It  is  like  a  great  man  out  of  his  element. 
For  instance,  what  would  I  amount  to,  turned  loose  among 
the  heathen  niggers  of  Africa  ?  And  what  would  Gen. 
Grant  have  come  to  among  them  niggers  ?  Great  men 
should  live  where  folks  appreciates  'em  and  there's  no 
sense  in  this  sand  being  here." 

No  life  in  this  region  except  prairie-dogs,  and  they  have 
built  under  the  shadow  of  the  cones,  as  if  seeking  shade. 
Where  is  the  grass  that  these  fellows  feed  on  here,  and 
where  the  water  they  drink  ?  Does  not  this  confirm  their 
subsistence  in  subterranean  forests,  and  quiet  lakes  therein  ? 

We  rode  on,  on,  and  on,  over  this  marvellous  country, 
without  a  drop  of  water  in  it,  or  even  a  ravine  to  tell 
where  water  had  been.  We  had  been  greatly  persecuted 
with  thirst  all  day,  the  salty  stuff  in  our  canteens  exciting, 
instead  of  allaying  it ;  and  when  the  last  drop  was  gone 
our  sufferings  became  great.  Our  mouths  became  thick 
and  gummy,  and  finally  feverish.  We  tried  to  mend  this 
by  chewing  bullets,  and  it  did  help  considerably.  Our 
poor  horses  suffered  terribly,  and  toward  nightfall  were  so 
far  gone  that  they  moved  as  heavily  as  chunks  of  lead, 
and  reeled  like  drunken  men.  It  looked  as  if  death  was 
in  our  faces  ;  but  at  ten  o'clock  a  chain  of  mountains  rose 
out  of  the  darkness  close  beside  us.  Our  horses  immedi- 
ately freshened  up,  and  actually  forcing  us  to  go  their  own 
way,  at  last  we  heard  the  babbling  of  waters,  and  the 
next  moment  our  horses  had  their  heads  deep  in  the  dear 
liquid.  We  dismounted,  and  it  was  delicious  !  Do  not 
talk  of  champagne,  iced,  in  goblets  of  gold  :  it  is  nothing 
to  this  heaven-born  liquid.  As  I  drank,  the  satisfaction 
I  felt  was  heavenly.  I  knew  this  was  Willow  Springs,  as 
marked  on  the  maps,  fifty-six  miles  from  Leon  Springs. 
The  grass  was  fine.  Having  hobbled  our  horses  upon  it, 
and  eaten  heartily  of  jerked  beef  and  crackers,  we  stretched 
ourselves  on  the  ground  to  sleep. 


TWO   THOUSA^STD   MILES   lin    TEXAS   02^  HOKSEBACK.     3.37 


The  Night  oe  Wolyes. 

We  had  not  time  to  close  our  eyes  before  plain  and 
mountain  began  to  resound  with  the  howl  of  lobos,  or  the 
big  wolves.  They  gathered  nearer  and  nearer,  until  we 
could  hear  them  tripping  in  the  grass  all  around  us.  We 
became  alarmed  lest  they  might  attack  our  horses,  and 
going  to  them  with  pistol  in  hand,  we  staked  them  to  ropes 
very  close  to  us,  and  again  fell  to  our  blankets.  The 
wolves  now  seemed  to  sit  on  their  hunkers  in  a  circle  about 
us,  and  proceeded  to  deliver  a  great  serenade.  I  endeay- 
ored  to  interpret  their  language,  and  it  seemed  this,  as 
near  as  I  could  make  it  : 

Oh,  strangers,  have  you  any  meat  to  spare, 

From  your  sacks  so  large  and  strong  ? 
We  smell  a  good  smell  on  the  cool  night  air, 

As  it  comes — as  it  comes  along. 
It  is  incense  sweet,  the  smell  of  that  meat ; 

It  is  juicy  and  tender,  we  know  : 
A  buffalo's  hump,  or  a  heifer's  rump, 

Or  a  good  fat  buck,  we  trow  : 

We  trow — 
Or  a  good  fat  buck,  we  trow. 

Oh,  bow  wow  wow,  bow  wow  wow ; 
Oh,  bow,  wow,  wow,  wow,  wow  I 

Behold  in  us  a  hungry  crew. 

Who  have  wandered  night  and  day 
O'er  hill  and  dale,  through  ravine  and  vale, 
In  pursuit  of  the  flying  prey. 
'  But  the  buffalo  moves  ten  thousand  strong. 
In  fierce  and  terrible  array  ; 
And  when  we  dash  that  herd  among. 
He  drives  poor  wolf  away  : 

Away — 
He  drives  poor  wolf  away  ! 

Oh,  bow  wow  wow,  bow  wow  wow ; 
Oh,  bow,  wow,  wow,  wow,  wow  I 
15 


338     TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IK   TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK. 

And  the  buck  lie  speeds  with  the  speed  of  the  wind — 

Jehu  !  how  he  can  run  ! 
We  pursue  for  miles,  with  guiles  and  wiles. 

Only  to  be  outdone  I 
The  antelope  dwells  on  the  prairies  wide, 

And  his  eyes  like  the  eagle's  are  ; 
The  wolf  he  sees,  or  he  smells  us  on  the  breeze, 

And  he  bounds  o'er  the  prairies  afar : 
Afar — 

He  bounds  o'er  the  prairies  afar ! 
Oh,  bow  wow  wow,  bow  wow  wow  ; 
Oh,  bow,  wow,  wow,  wow,  wow ! 

But,  strangers,  you  have  your  rifle  true. 

With  the  deadly  s]  ug  and  ball ; 
At  whose  fiery  crack,  they  halt  in  their  track, 

And  reel,  and  die,  and  fall. 
You  have  wealth  of  meat,  juicy  and  sweet. 

You  are  happy  and  fat  alway  ; 
You  know  not  the  sorrows  of  the  poor  lorn  wolf. 

As  he  howls,  as  he  howls  by  the  way  : 
By  the  way — 

As  he  howls,  as  he  howls  by  the  way. 
Oh,  bow  wow  wow,  bow  wow  wow  ; 
Oh,  bow,  wow,  wow,  we  say  I 

Ye  favored  ones,  be  kind  to  the  wolf, 

And  he'll  be  kind  unto  you  ; 
And  the  Father  above  who  made  us  all, 

He  will  mark  the  good  that  ye  do. 
From  His  hands  came  we,  from  his  hands  came  ye ; 

We  are  brothers  in  His  glorious  reign  ; 
So  share  the  blessings  He  has  showered  on  you. 

With  your  poor,  lost  friend  of  the  plain : 
Of  the  plain — 

Of  your  poor,  lost  friend  of  the  plain. 

Oh,  bow  wow  wow,  bow  wow  wow ; 

Of  your  poor,  lost  friend  of  the  plain. 

"  Gfood  gracious  !"  said  John  Powell ;  "let's  give  them 
poor  things  a  bone.     They  sings  like  their  hearts  was 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.     339 

busting."  At  length  they  dropped  their  serenade  and  went 
away  one  by  one  ;  but  their  distant  cries  were  in  our  ears 
as  long  as  we  lay  awake.  They  were  probably  not  half  as 
hungry  as  they  pretended  to  be,  and  doubtless  much  of 
their  vaunted  misery  was  mere  put-on. 


VI. 


Amokg  the  Minerals. — "There  they  are,  for  a 

FACT  ! " 

WE  slept  profoundly  until  three  o'clock,  when  we 
journeyed  a  little  west  of  south  under  the  moon- 
light. The  small  brook  formed  by  Willow  Springs  ran  a 
short  distance  and  sank  in  the  earth.  The  country  as  we 
rode  along  was  exceedingly  beautiful :  fertile  vales  and 
swelling  tumuli,  all  dressed  in  a  carpet  of  grass  as  smooth 
and  luxuriant  as  it  is  possible  to  conceive.  We  thought 
that  something  of  this  was  due  to  the  soft  moonlight ;  but 
when  the  sun  rose  it  only  disclosed  a  wider  prospect  of 
gracefulness,  beauty  and  fertility.  Flocks  of  deer  were 
feeding  in  every  direction,  which  raised  their  heads  and 
gazed  at  us  with  more  curiosity  than  fear.  Athwart  our 
path  in  the  distance  lay  a  chain  of  lofty  and  rugged 
mountains,  some  of  which  disclosed  to  the  glass  bright 
white  lines  running  over  them,  as  if  they  were  decked  in 
ribbons.  At  ten  o'clock  we  approached  these  mountains, 
and  finding  a  splendid  spring  of  pure,  cold  water,  we  dis- 
mounted and  turned  our  horses  to  the  grass,  having  rid- 
den, as  we  supposed,  about  twenty-eight  miles. 

Here  was  plenty  of  mesquite  brush  and  wild  cherry. 
After  a  feast  in  which  the  last  of  our  buffalo  meat  disap- 
peared, Jones  Johns  and  myself  went  on  a  prospecting 
tour  among  the  mountains,  leaving  John  Powell  with  the 
horses.  In  the  narrow  valleys  and  gorges  of  the  moun- 
tains, and  reaching  as  high  up  their  flanks  as  the  soil  ex- 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IK   TEXAS   0:sr    HORSEBACK.     341 

tended,  we  found  forests  of  cedar,  which  even  excelled 
those  of  the  bank  of  Pecos  Valley.  Thousands  of  these 
were  a  hundred  feet  in  height,  three  to  four  feet  in  diame- 
ter, without  a  limb  antil  near  the  top,  and  as  straight  as 
the  mast  of  a  ship.  A  grateful  aromatic  odor  pervaded 
the  forest.  They  are  perhaps  the  superbest  cedars  in  the 
world,  and  here  is  enough  of  them  to  build  a  great  city. 
How  grand,  solemn  and  silent  they  are,  as  we  walk  on  the 
sleek  carpet  of  fallen  leaves — not  a  sound  coming  to  our 
ears,  save  the  wind  sighing  in  the  boughs  far  overhead  ! 
Said  I  :  ^^  Jones  Jolms,  if  you  had  these  forests  at  Hous- 
ton, you  would  be  worth  a  million  ;  you  would  scorn  your 
sand-prairies  and  your  sand-banks.  You  would  take  to 
putting  on  airs,  Jones  Johns,  and  your  severe  republican 
simplicity  would  be  corrupted  and  lost.  You  would  want 
an  Empire,  Jones  Johns,  that  you  might  dance  attendance 
around  the  Emperor,  as  His  Grace,  the  Duke  of  the 
Cedars." 

^^I  'speck  I  would  for  a  fact,"  said  he,  eying  the 
grand  forest.  ''  I  would  want  a  grand  lady  for  a  Duke- 
ess,  and  I  reckon  I  would  entirely  forget  poor,  honest, 
good  Ailsie,  the  fat  washer-girl  of  Thompson  street." 

These  mountains  are  of  granitic  and  basaltic  rocks, 
and  some  are  masses  of  white  quartz,  presenting  the  ap- 
pearance of  being  wrapped  in  snow.  They  are  literally 
charged  with  minerals;  hardly  one,  as  far  as  we  saw,  that 
is  not  traversed  with  veins  of  iron,  copper,  and  silver-lead. 
These  veins  are  from  a  few  inches  to  thirty  feet  in  width, 
and  are  true  metallic  veins  that  have  been  shot  up  from 
the  central  fires.  They  penetrate  granite,  basalt  and 
quartz  alike,  and  no  doubt  came  up  with  these  at  the  time 
of  their  upheaval,  but  they  are  most  common  in  the  gran- 
ite and  quartz.  The  silver-lead  appears  very  abundant, 
and  masses  of  it  lie  scattered  along  the  flanks  of  the  moun- 
tains, and  all  of  it  appears  to  me  rich  in  silver  and  lead. 


342     TWO  THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK. 

If  this  chain  of  mountains,  which  I  take  to  be  the  Sierra 
Santiago,  shall  not  prove  rich  in  these  metals  when  ex- 
plored by  the  mineralogists,  I  shall  be  greatly  disap- 
pointed. There  are  numerous  veins  of  quartz,  so  frothy 
and  porous  as  to  resemble  pumice-stone,  but  in  these  I 
could  detect  no  metal.* 

Our  pleasant  occupation  of  searching  for  the  precious 
metals,  was  brought  to  an  untimely  close.  We  had  reached 
the  top  of  a  mountain,  commanding  a  wide  view,  when 
I  saw  a  party  of  fifteen  or  twenty  men  on  horseback,  rid- 
ing slowly  across  a  plain  in  a  course  which  would  bring 
them  near  Powell  and  our  horses.  Drawing  my  glass,  I 
could  not  distinctly  make  out  what  they  were,  but  they 
presented  a  suspicious  appearance.  I  handed  the  glass  to 
Johns,  telling  him  to  look  carefully.  In  a  moment  he 
broke  out,  as  he  took  the  glass  from  his  eyes  :  ''  There  they 
are  for  a  fact ;  them's  Injuns  !  "  Believing  they  might  be 
a  party  of  explorers,  I  again  levelled  the  glass  upon  them, 
just  as  they  had  risen  in  a  favorable  position  on  a  little 
eminence.  There  was  no  mistake  about  it  this  time. 
They  had  no  dress,  but  blankets  or  skins  thrown  across 
them  ;  some  had  guns,  and  the  bows  and  quivers  of  others 
were  distinctly  visible.  I  said  :  ''You  are  right.  Let  us 
hasten  to  John  Powell.  They  will  almost  surely  come  to 
that  spring  for  water."  We  travelled  down  the  mountain 
much  faster  than  we  went  up.  A  few  minutes  brought  us 
to  our  horses,  which  having  filled  themselves,  were  lying 
in  the  grass.  John  Powell  was  not  visible.  We  called 
him  in  alow  voice,  but  got  no  response.  Hurrying  around 
we  found  him  snoring  in  a  little  thicket,  where  he  had 
gone  to  hide,  in  case  any  evil  disposed  person  should  pass. 

*  I  brought  back  several  specimens  of  silver-lead  and  copper  from  these  moun- 
tains, which  competent  parties  in  Austin  and  St.  Louis,  who  examined  them,  pro- 
nounced highly  valuable.  The  lands  belong  to  the  State,  and  there  is  plenty  of 
water  and  game.  Prospecting  parties,  taking  a  little  salt  and  flour  along,  would 
fare  well. 


TWO  THOUSAND   MILES   llSi  TEXAS   0^  HORSEBACK.     343 

Johns  seized  him  by  the  foot,  and  giving  him  a  smart  jerk, 
exclaimed  :  ''  Bounce  up — the  Injuns  are  right  on  us, 
thick  ! "  He  sprang  up  like  a  buck  aroused  from  his  lair, 
grasping  his  rifle  and  staring  wildly  around.  We  did  not 
stop  to  explain  particulars,  but  saddled  our  horses  as^ 
quickly  as  we  could,  struck  out  into  the  first  opening  we 
saw,  and  soon  buried  ourselves  in  the  shadows  of  the 
mountains.  Suspecting  that  the  Indians  might  trail  us, 
we  moved  as  fast  as  the  nature  of  the  ground  would  per- 
mit, keeping  a  sharp  look-out  behind.  We  were  soon  in- 
volved in  terrible  confusion  :  stumbling  painfully  over 
heaps  of  boulders,  under  precipices  that  hung  far  above  us, 
in  depths  that  no  sun-ray  ever  penetrated  ;  squeezing 
through  fissures  and  chasms  so  narrow  that  our  knees  re- 
ceived many  a  wound.  One  of  these  led  into  a  wide  field 
of  volcanic  glass,*  swollen  into  numerous  bumps  by  the 
boulders  below,  on  which  our  horses'  feet  slipped  and 
clanked  at  a  great  rate.  At  last  we  stopped  in  a  dark  for- 
est of  cedar,  jammed  in  a  deep  depression  which  seemed 
to  have  no  outlet  except  the  fissure  or  rent  by  which  we 
had  entered  it.  We  threw  ourselves  on  the  carpet  of  cedar 
leaves,  to  rest  our  horses  and  determine  what  next  to  do. 
We  were  on  a  spot  which  doubtless  no  soul  had  ever  seen 
before — not  even  an  Indian. 

"  Blast  them  Injuns,"  said  Jones  Johns.  '^  They  have 
run  us  into  a  bear's  den  at  last,  and  maybe  we'll  never  git 
outen  it.  We'd  better  staid  right  there  and  died  game, 
than  to  starve  to  death  in  this  black  witch-hole."  Truly, 
it  did  look  like  a  witch-hole,  with  the  solid,  perpendicular 
walls  of  basalt  rising  in  every  direction  around  us,  their 
shadows  increased  by  the  dark  cedar-boughs  above  our 
heads.  We  could  scarcely  get  a  glimpse  of  the  sky,  and 
only  so  much  as  that  by  bending  our  heads  far  back  and 
looking  straight  up. 

*  Obsidian. 


344     TWO   THOUSAND   MILES  IN  TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK. 

•  Before  our  flight  from  the  springs  we  had  not  filled 
otir  clan  teens,  which  were  without  a  drop  of  water.  It 
was  now  after  four  o'clock,  and  knowing  that  if  we  would 
get  out  of  this  black  hole  before  morning,  and  thus  escape 
great  suffering  for  both  ourselves  and  horses,  we  must  do 
so  at  once,  we  mounted  and  rode  down  the  narrow  forest. 
It  terminated  at  the  entrance  to  a  stony  chasm,  which 
seemed  to  come  to  an  abrupt  end  a  few  yards  ahead  ;  but, 
entering  it,  it  zig-zagged  a  long  distance,  bringing  us  out 
at  last  into  another  forest  of  cedar.  This  terminated  in  a 
deep  canyon,  running  to  the  south-west,  enclosed  between 
walls  of  basaltic  rock,  five  or  six  hundred  feet  in  perpen- 
dicular height.  It  was  about  a  half-mile  in  width,  its  floor 
level  and  thick  with  grass.  It  is  a  grand  natural  pass  for 
a  railway,  and  perhaps  the  only  one  through  the  moun- 
tains. We  emerged  out  of  the  canyon  into  a  beautiful 
rolling  country,  green  as  summer,  just  as  night  fell  on  us. 
There  was  no  water,  but  our  horses  being  greatly  worried, 
we  stripped  them  and  threw  ourselves  upon  the  soft  carpet, 
eating  nothing  for  fear  of  exciting  thirst.  We  judged  we 
had  travelled  forty  miles  since  morning. 

The  Indians  who  had  driven  us  on  this  terrible  jaunt 
through  the  recesses  of  the  metallic  mountains,  were  doubt- 
less a  thieving  set  from  Mexico,  entering  Texas  to  steal 
and  murder.  Had  we  allowed  them  to  attack  us  under 
shelter,  I  have  no  doubt  we  would  have  punished  them 
severely,  and  whipped  them  ;  but  I  was  not  on  a  fighting 
expedition.  Had  I  been  I  would  have  behaved  in  a  very 
different  manner.  The  wolves  made  us  music  as  usual, 
and  we  heard  some  strange,  unexplained  voices  during  the 
night ;  but  we  slept  grandly. 


VIL 

The  Lost  Creek. — Silver. — The  Lioisrs  of  the 
Mountains. 

AT  four  A.  M.  we  were  in  the  saddle,  without  break- 
fast, journeying  south-west — the-  country  a  picture 
of  beauty  :  serene  vales,  smooth-flowing  hills,  and  occa- 
sionally solitary  rounded  mountains,  or  a  group  of  three 
or  four  together — the  vales  and  hills  asleep  under  a  green 
mantle.  This  is  a  limestone  region,  exposing,  with  the 
prevailing  rock,  wherever  the  strata  are  broken,  red  or 
black  shales,  with  iron  and  copper  pyrites,  and  masses  of 
selenite  transparent  as  glass.  This  sometimes  appears  in 
layers,  two  or  three  feet  in  thickness,  between  the  lime- 
stones, and  is  also  scattered  on  the  surface  in  the  vales. 
I  judge  the  formation  to  be  Permian.  At  nine  o'clock 
we  reached  a  pretty  creek,  flowing  south,  bordered  on  the 
west  by  immense  rounded  tumuli  of  granite  and  basaltic 
crags  and  precipices — all  bare  and  presenting  an  extremely 
bleak  and  desolate  scene.  We  stopped  an  hour  and  ate 
ham  and  crackers — all  that  our  commissary  now  had. 
Moving  down  the  creek,  the  bare  rocks  rose  into  bare 
mountains,  grey  and  black,  very  rugged>  and  suggestive 
of  witches  and  ^'hell-broth."  At  last  one  of  these  erected 
its  black  front  across  the  valley,  making  a  natural  dam  of 
solid  rock,  several  hundred  feet  in  height  and  apparently 
a  mile  or  more  in  thickness.  The  smart  brook,  which  had 
been  singing  and  bounding  all  the  way  over  its  stony  bot- 
tom, here  hushed  its  merry  voice  in  a  dark,  silent  pool 


346     TWO   THOUSAITD   MILES   IK   TEXAS   0^  HOKSEBACK. 

against  the  mountain,  with  steep  banks  without  a  de- 
pression on.  either  side.  What  became  of  the  laughing 
brook  ?  Engulfed,  perhaps  forever,  in  the  cavernous 
depths  of  the  rock. 

"  Men  come  and  go,  but  we  go  on  forever/'  cannot  be 
sung  of  this  brook,  stranded,  cut  off  and  lost  in  the  midst 
of  its  singing  and  laughter.  It  may  be  that  on  the  op- 
posite side  of  the  mountain  it  burst  forth  afresh  and  ran 
along  under  the  dark  precipices,  but  we  did  not  go  to  see. 

We  here  saw  many  veins  of  silver  and  lead,  and  de- 
tached masses  were  frequent  under  the  mountains.  Veins 
of  different  colors  traversed  the  mountains  in  every  direc- 
tion. Onr  richest  specimens  of  silver  were  obtained  here. 
Of  iron  there  is  practically  no  end.  We  saw  blocks  of  it 
that  looked  like  masses  of  encrinites  compacted  together 
and  converted  into  solid  iron.  We  also  saw  copper  ore. 
Indeed,  it  seems  to  me  that  there  is  no  important  mineral 
except  gold,  which  these  gigantic  masses  of  barren  rocks 
may  not  furnish  in  paying  quantities ;  but  it  would  be  a 
terrible  country  to  the  miner. 

While  inspecting  the  minerals  we  saw  a  company  of 
deer  entering  the  valley  a  half  mile  above  us.  As  we  pined 
for  fresh  meat,  I  walked  up  the  bluff  to  get  a  shot.  When 
nearly  opposite  the  deer,  I  saw  a  fine  buck  coming  toward 
me  down  a  ravine  into  which  I  was  about  to  descend. 
Concealing  myself  behind  a  rock,  I  waited  for  him,  and 
just  as  he  had  brought  his  flank  to  bear  I  pulled  trigger 
upon  him  at  a  distance  of  about  eighty  yards.  He  sprang 
into  the  air,  staggered  a  few  steps  and  dropped  dead. 
Taking  his  hams,  I  walked  up  the  ravine  to  look  at  an  im- 
mense mass  of  rock,  ribboned  with  veins,  which  had  at- 
tracted my  attention.  It  was  almost  as  sleek  as  glass,  and 
I  clambered  to  the  top  with  ditiiculty,  leaving  the  hams  at 
the  base.  While  pecking  at  the  scoriaceous  veins  of  quartz, 
thinking  I  might   have   discovered   a  gold  mine,   I  was 


TWO   THOUSAI^D   MILES   IN  TEXAS   OJiT   HORSEBACK.     347 

aroused  from  my  dream  of  wealth  by  hearing  a  quick  gut- 
tural roar,  which  seemed  to  come  from  some  object  very 
near  me.  There  was  a  depression  on  the  top  of  the  rock, 
and  into  this  I  sank,  slightly  projecting  my  head  over  the 
rim  to  take  observations.  The  roar  was  repeated  two  or 
three  times  in  quick  succession,  and  immediately  there 
seemed  to  be  several  objects  roaring  all  together.  The 
roaring  was  precisely  like  that  I  heard  on  the  Pecos  bluff, 
and  I  sat  still,  chock-full  of  curiosity,  mingled  with  some 
dread.  I  had  not  long  to  wait.  Five  splendid  animals 
leaped  into  the  open  ravine  about  two  hundred  yards  above 
me  and  walked  leisurely  along,  smelling  the  ground,  and 
then  stood  still  a  moment,  their  heads  erect,  gazing  to  the 
front  and  right  and  left.  One  of  them  opened  with  a  roar 
to  which  the  others  immediately  responded  in  concert. 
^' Lions  !"  said  I  to  myself  ;  ''regular  African  lions,  and 
here  will  be  a  battle — five  to  one  !  "  They  resumed  their 
march  down  the  ravine  in  open  view,  till,  reaching  a  large 
rounded  rock  about  seventy-five  yards  from  me,  they  leaped 
nimbly  upon  it,  and  there  stood  gazing  in  every  direction, 
roaring  at  times  deeply  and  lashing  the  air  with  their  tails. 
The  roaring  was  invariably  begun  by  one,  to  which  the 
others  immediately  responded,  repeated  by  each  several 
times  in  succession.  I  shrank  as  deeply  as  I  could  into  the 
depression,  leaving  only  my  forehead  and  eyes  above  the 
rim  and  lying  quiet  as  a  mouse.  I  might  have  killed  one 
at  least  easily,  but  as  I  had  not  started  out  on  a  fighting 
expedition,  I  concluded  that  I  would  let  them  alone,  if 
they  would  do  the  same  with  me.  Moreover,  I  desired  to 
study  their  manners.  What  magnificent  and  powerful 
beasts  they  were — so  precisely  like  lions  that  I  could  dis- 
tinguish no  important  difference  !  They  were  tawny  like 
the  lion,  but  of  a  slightly  lighter  color,  and  though  with 
locks  long  enough,  the  heads  of  the  males  were  less 
shaggy  ;  the  same  big  head  and  stiff  ears  :  the  same  lordly 


348     TWO   THOUSAKD   MILES   IIST   TEXAS   O:^   HOKSEBACK. 

and  leonine  aspect ;  the  same  long  tail,  with  the  tuft  at 
the  end.  Their  roar  no  one  could  distinguish  from  that 
of  the  true  lion.  There  were  two  males  and  three  females, 
the  latter  with  no  mane,  and  much  more  fussy  and  restless 
than  their  lordly  companions.  While  their  lords  stood 
quietly  looking  around,  they  were  uneasily  stepping  hither 
and  thither,  as  if  inciting  them  on  and  eager  for  adven- 
ture and  blood.  They  did  not  see  me,  for  no  other  rea- 
son, I  suppose,  than  that  I  was  considerably  elevated  above 
them,  but  they  evidently  suspected  that  there  was  some- 
thing uncommon  in  the  vicinity.  Presently  they  leaped 
from  the  rock  and  walked  slowly  down  the  ravine.  When 
•they  reached  the  point  where  I  had  crossed  it,  they  stopped, 
smelling  the  ground,  and  roared  at  a  prodigious  rate, 
with  a  multitude  of  short,  quick,  deep  grunts,  at  the  same 
time  lashing  the  air  with  their  tails.  I  now  expected  that 
they  would  return  on  my  track,  and  made  up  my  mind  for 
a  battle,  but  instead  of  doing  so,  after  a  moment  or  two 
they  continued  down  the  ravine  and  disappeared  behind  a 
ledge  of  stone.  I  descended  at  once  from  the  stone,  walked 
rapidly  up  the  ravine,  and  clambered  out  of  it  at  the 
point  where  they  had  leaped  into  it.  Just  as  I  did  so  I 
heard  a  great  roaring,  which  caused  me  to  think  that  they 
had  seen  me  and  were  in  pursuit,  but  nothing  further  fol- 
lowed. I  concluded  they  had  found  the  carcass  of  the 
deer,  and  were  congratulating  themselves  on  the  discovery. 
I  hurried  toward  the  point  where  the  soldiers  were, 
but  becoming  involved  in  the  mazes  of  stones,  it  was  quite 
an  hour  before  I  reached  it.  Eelating  my  adventure,  we 
saddled  up  and  rode  up  the  valley  with  the  intention  of 
trying  the  mettle  of  these  powerful  animals.  Coming  to 
the  spot  where  I  had  slain  the  deer,  there  was  not  a  ves- 
tige of  him  except  his  horns,  hoofs  and  a  few  fragments 
of  bone.  We  looked  around  some  time,  but  discovered 
nothing,  and  hallooed,  but  received  no   response.     The 


TWO  THOUSAND   MILES  IIS"  TEXAS  OlST  HORSEBACK.     349 

beasts  had  retired  to  their  recesses  or  quietly  watched  us 
from  the  inaccessible  crags. 

The  zoologists  say  that  the  lion  is  not  native  outside  of 
Asian  and  African  wilds  ;  but  if  this  is  not  a  lion,  pray 
tell  me,  ye  scientists,  what  is  it  ?  It  is  said  in  the  terse 
Latin  that  "  no  like  is  the  same  ;"*  but  it  cannot  easily  be 
disputed  that  two  ''  sames"  are  at  least  of  the  same  stock. 
Say  what  ye  choose.  I  write  this  down  as  a  true  American 
lion  ;  for  my  eyes  have  carefully  seen,  and  my  ears  have 
carefully  heard.  He  is  not  uncommon  in  the  deep  moun- 
tainous wilds  of  Western  Texas,  but  is  rarely  seen,  because 
he  does  not  venture  out  of  them  except  at  night,  when 
like  his  African  and  Asiatic  kinsman,  he  goes  abroad  on 
his  prowling  and  destructive  expeditions.  They  call  him 
the  Mountain  or  Mexican  lion,  and  he  is  held  as  the  most 
dangerous  and  terrible  of  all  American  beasts  ;  but  I  have 
seen  none  who  have  ever  encountered  him  in  battle.  They 
say  that  he  is  fond  of  horse-flesh  and  often  descends  upon 
the  plains,  four  or  five  in  company,  and  makes  terrible 
slaughter  among  the  herds,  f 

The  Pass. — The  Abysmal  Creek  and  Fall  of 

Bruin. 
We  rode  back  to  the  place  of  the  death  of  the  brook  ; 
thence  turned  west,  and  soon  entered  a  smooth  pass  that 

*  Nullum  simile  est  idem. 

t  After  my  arrival  in  Presidio  del  Norte,  I  made  particular  inquiry  about  these 
animals  and  was  told  that  they  were  the  Black  Tiger— better  known  in  Mexico 
as  the  American  Lion.  Their  zoological  name  is  probably  Felis  discolor.  They 
are  much  larger  than  the  Jaguar  or  Felis  onca,  generally  known  as  the  Mexican 
Lion  in  Texas,  and  are  also  much  more  ferocious.  It  is  said  to  be  an  exceed- 
ingly easy  matter  to  get  a  battle  out  of  them,  they  putting  themselves  to  little  or 
no  trouble  to  avoid  it.  They  have  no  true  mane  like  the  lion,  but  the  hair  about 
the  head  and  neck  of  the  males  is  long  and  bristly,  and  this  is  always  erected 
when  they  are  excited,  producing  much  of  the  appearance  of  a  true  leonine  mane. 
They  are  much  less  common  in  the  Western  Texas  wilds  than  the  Felis  onca, 
but  T  was  told  that  they  are  fast  multiplying.  The  Mexicans  say  they  are  mi- 
grating northward  from  Central  America,  following  the  mountain  chains,  and 
are  nevei*  seen  out  of  them.  It  is  probable  that  it  was  fortunate  for  me  that  I 
did  not  fire  upon  them. 


350     TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   T:N'  TEXAS   OIT   HOUSEBACK. 

opened  a  long  way  through  the  otherwise  impracticable 
mountains,  which  on  either  side  grew  constantly  more  lofty, 
desolate  and  jagged  as  we  rode  on.  So  perfect  a  roadway 
is  this,  that  it  is  impossible  not  to  see  in  it  design  of  the 
Architect.  He  maketh  the  way  smooth  into  these  terrible 
stones  that  are  rich  with  his  precious  metals.  In  this  vale 
He  has  walked — the  sublime,  omnipresent  Personal  God, 
and  the  great  hills  danced  for  joy  at  His  presence  !  Sub- 
lime Inconceivable  !  how  can  we  address  Thee,  when  in 
contemplation  of  Thee,  the  mind  is  overwhelmed  and  lost 
in  a  glory  of  wonder  and  unspeakable  thought  ? 

After  two  hoars,  the  pass  brought  us  to  a  creek,  with 
water  as  bright  as  dew-drops  and  so  cold  that  it  seemed  to 
issue  from  iced  fountains.  Bright,  singing  little  creek, 
are  there  snow-clad  mountains  on  your  border  which  repay 
you  with  iced  juleps  for  the  song  you  sing  them  as  you  go  ? 
Precipitous  walls  and  black  crags,  insurmountable  to  all 
without  wings,  here  made  further  advance  westward  im- 
possible ;  and  we  turned  south  down  the  sparkling  creek, 
which  now  sang  along  green  vales,  and  now  hushed, its 
voice  in  chasms  so  dark  and  deep  that  we  could  neither 
hear  nor  see  it.  Sometimes  the  jutting  stones  of  the 
mountains  pressed  us  so  near  the  chasms  that  there  was 
barely  passage  for  our  horses,  and  we  dismounted  and  led 
them  cautiously  by  the  brink.  At  the  mouth  of  one  of  the 
chasms  I  entered  on  foot,  and  walked  some  distance  on 
the  stone  floor  of  the  creek.  The  steep  walls  towered  two 
hundred  feet  or  more  above  me,  and  it  was  so  narrow  that 
I  could  easily  touch  both  walls  at  once.  The  solid  rock 
had  been  rent  in  twain  to  give  passage  to  the  creek.  Even 
in  this  deep  pit  were  numerous  metallic  veins,  from  which 
ores  of  silver,  lead  and  copper  stuck  out  in  chunks. 

Emerging  out  of  the  chasm  in  the  black  gorge  into 
which  it  opened,  we  had  made  but  little  headway,  when  a 
black  bear,  startled  by  the  ringing  of  our  horses'  feet  upon 


TWO   THOUSAiq'D   MILES   IN^   TEXAS   01^   HORSEBACK.     351 

the  stones,  sprang  out  of  the  creek  bed  and  clambered  has- 
tily, but  in  a  hibberly  way  up  the  mountain,  disappearing 
in  an  overhanging  thicket  of  cedar.  I  threw  my  bridle 
to  one  of  the  soldiers,  and  leaping  to  the  ground,  crept 
stealthily  in  pursuit.  I  sprang  from  a  projecting  rock  into 
the  cedars,  and  there  lay  Bruin,  crouched  before  me,  not 
ten  feet  away.  Taken  by  surprise,  he  reared  on  his  hind 
legs,  stared  at  me  a  second  with  a  strange,  intelligent  look, 
and  then  turned  for  flight.  As  he  did  so,  I  fired  with  my 
rifle,  the  ball  giving  him  a  severe  wound  on  the  left  shoul- 
der. As  if  conscious  now  that  there  was  no  safety  in 
flight,  he  turned  abruptly  upon  me  and  began  a  rapid  ad- 
vance. I  stepped  back  to  balance  myself,  and  the  next 
moment  crushed  his  skull  with  a  ball,  and  he  fell  dead 
within  an  arm's  length  of  me.  Suppose  my  gun  had  missed 
fire  !  I  shudder  to  think  of  it.  Probably  with  one  effort 
he  would  have  hurled  me  over  the  precipice  two  hundred 
feet  into  the  stony  gorge  below,  or  crushed  my  head  in,his 
mouth.  Feeling  him  and  seeing  that  he  was  gloriously 
fat,  I  called  to  the  soldiers  for  help,  and  soon  Jones  Johns 
stood  beside  me.  '^  Golly  !  he  is  a  rouser,"  said  he.  We 
judged  him  to  be  about  ^Ye  hundred  pounds  weight. 
Cutting  off  a  good  supply  of  his  choicest  parts,  we  descended 
into  the  gorge,  leaving  the  rest  for  the  lions  of  the  moun- 
tains. 

Down  black  gorges,  down  verdant  vales,  along  dizzy 
precipices  and  dark  chasms,  through  sombre  forests  of 
cedar,  under  the  shadow  of  the  mountains,  we  rode  and 
rode  ;  until,  while  the  sun  was  yet  glancing  over  the  flanks 
and  between  the  crags  of  the  mountains,  we  came  sud- 
denly to  a  halt  on  the  banks  of  a  great  yellow  river,  roll- 
ing rapidly  and  silently  below  us.  It  was  the  Eio  Bravo 
del  Norte,  and  we  stood  upon  the  uttermost  soil  of  Uncle 
Sam,  the  rolling  plains  and  mountains  of  Mexico  rising 
beyond  it.     We  dismounted,  hobbled  our  horses  on  a  little 


352     TWO   THOUSA]^D   MILES   IK  TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK. 

plot  of  rich  grass,  kindled  a  rousing  fire  of  cedar,  and 
soon  ate  a  great  bait  of  delicious,  dripping  bear-meat  and 
venison,  reinforced  by  hard-tack  and  washed  down  with 
strong,  black  coffee.*  When  night  fell  we  slept  pro- 
foundly, paying  no  attention  to  the  hungry  wolves,  who 
came  to  solicit  a  share  of  our  stores. 

*  Charles  Hallock,  Esq.,  editor  of  Forest  and  Stream,  in  his  admirable  work 
on  the  game  birds,  fishes  and  animals  of  America,  "  The  Sportsman's  Gazetteer," 
ridicules  the  flesh  of  the  bear — saying  they  pamper  on  grasshoppers,  grubs  and 
beetles,  and  are  unfit  to  be  eaten.  Had  he  been  with  me  on  this  trip,  he  would 
efase  that  passage,  or  at  all  events,  make  an  exception  of  the  Texas  bear.  I  judge 
he  has  never  eaten  a  Texas  bear.  In  Texas  they  feed  mostly  on  pecans,  rich 
acorns,  and  golden  honey  which  they  gather  in  the  caves.  Texas  bear  meat  ia 
simply  glorious,  whether  fresh  or  baconed.  At  least,  that  is  the  testimony  of 
one  who  has  eaten  many  a  pot  of  it,  and  always  with  relish.  As  Texas  surpasses 
every  other  land,  why  should  not  its  bears  surpass  all  other  bears  ? 


VIII. 

Perplexity  that  is  Proyidektially  Eelieved. — A 
EiDE  li^  Mexico. 

IN  the  morning  while  we  ate  breakfast  we  watched  sun- 
rise in  the  mountains  :  first,  a  flood  of  light,  like  a 
pyramid  of  fire,  streaming  upward  from  the  east ;  then 
pouring  through  the  crevices  and  fissures,  and  at  last  when 
the  great  orb  rose  to  the  crest  of  the  mountain,  and  seemed 
to  rest  upon  it,  a  grand  outburst  of  glory  all  about  us. 
Then  we  sat  on  the  bank  of  the  river  and  smoked  our 
pipes,  and  watched  the  crystal  waters  of  the  creek  fading 
away  in  the  golden-colored  Bravo.  The  air  was  laden 
with  the  fragrance  of  the  cedars.  A  wilder,  more  secluded 
nook  than  this  was  never  seen. 

A  great  perplexity  now  fell  upon  us  :  we  were  utterly 
confused  and  lost,  and  knew  not  which  way  to  turn.  We 
desired  to  reach  the  Mexican  town  of  Presidio  del  ^N'orte, 
but  with  the  lights  before  us,  it  was  impossible  to  tell 
whether  it  lay  below  or  above  us.  At  last  while  debating 
the  perplexing  question,  we  heard  the  tramp  of  horses^ 
feet  above  us  on  the  river,  and  turning,  we  saw  a  horse 
coming  toward  us,  with  a  black,  ragged  object  on  his  back 
bearing  a  long  gun  across  the  saddle.  Neither  rider  nor 
horse  had  yet  perceived  us.  ^^  Boys,  that  is  an  Indian," 
said  I.  ^'  No,"  said  Jones  Johns,  '^  that  is  a  black  Mexican. 
Injuns  wears  no  hats."  "Then,"  said  I,  "let  us  capture 
that  fellow  and  make  him  show  us  the  way."  We  concealed 
ourselves  under  the  bank,  and  the  object  rode  within  thirty 


354    TWO   THOUSAND   MILFS   IN   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK. 

feet  of  us,  halting  when  he  perceived  our  smouldering  fire, 
and  looking  around  in  a  suspicious  way.  ''  Now,  boys," 
said  I,  ^^  is  our  time." 

With  that  we  sprang  to  our  feet  and  made  a  dash  for 
the  Aztec.  He  turned  his  horse  to  fly,  but  I  brought  my 
gun  down  upon  him  and  called  to  him  to  halt.  At  the 
same  time  the  soldiers,  who  could  talk  a  little  Mexican, 
leveled  their  guns  upon  him  also,  crying  amigos  I  and 
adding  that  if  he  did  not  stop  he  would  be  shot.  He  evi- 
dently believed  the  threat  was  in  earnest,  and  seeing  little 
hope  of  escape  with  so  many  rifles  upon  him,  turned  and 
surrendered.  His  lips  were  white,  and  he  shook  with  ex- 
citement from  head  to  foot.  The  soldiers  explaining  to 
him  what  we  wanted,  he  grew  calm,  but  shook  his  head 
and  said  he  would  not  take  us  to  Presidio.  I  told  the 
soldiers  to  tell  him  he  must  do  it  or  be  shot — that  we  were 
in  no  mood  to  be  denied  so  reasonable  a  request.  When 
he  heard  this  he  looked  much  distressed,  as  if  we  had 
interfered  with  some  prior  arrangement ;  but  finally — 
"  Bueno  !  "  said  he,  '^ go  lo  Tiare.^^  He  then  pointed  up  the 
river,  and  we  mounted  our  horses  and  followed  him. 

This  old  fellow  was  probably  sixty  years  of  age,  but 
there  was  that  about  him  which  indicated  infinite  tough- 
ness. He  was  tall  and  lean,  sharp  visaged,  had  a  nose  like 
an  eagle's  beak,  and  was  of  a  dark  copper  color.  His 
eye  looked  sly  and  wicked.  His  dress  was  entirely  of 
buckskin,  except  that  he  had  a  very  dirty,  ragged  blanket 
thrown  over  his  shoulders.  His  shoes  were  moccasins, 
and  his  hat  was  the  common  Mexican  sombrero,  with  an 
enormous  rattlesnake  in  effigy  coiled  around  it.  From 
his  hard  and  weather-beaten  appearance  I  Judged  he  had 
not  slept  in  a  house  for  years.  We  asked  him  what  he  was 
doing  in  this  lonely  country.  ^'Hunting,"  said  he,  in 
Spanish.  He  then  asked  what  we  were  doing.  We  told 
him  we  were  also  hunting — hunting  Indians,  and  Jones 


TWO  THOUSAND   MILES   IK   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.     355 

Johns  added  that  we  had  encountered  a  flock  of  them  the 
day  before  and  killed  six.  At  this  I  observed  a  nervous 
shrug  of  the  old  fellow's  shoulders,  and  this,  in  connection 
with  his  wild  and  sinister  expression  and  appearance,  left 
little  doubt  in  my  mind  that  he  was  a  brigand,  who  lived 
principally  among  the  Indians  and  piloted  them  on  their 
raids  into  Texas.  I  thought  it  likely  that  he  belonged  to 
the  party  we  had  lately  seen.  * 

He  led  us  up  the  river  several  miles,  and  then  rode  into 
it,  we  following  in  file.  The  bottom  was  sandy,  the  cur- 
rent strong,  and  the  water  sometimes  nearly  up  to  our 
seats.  The  Bravo,  or  Kio  Grande,  as  it  is  usually  called 
by  the  Americans,  averages  where  we  rode  along  it  about 
three  hundred  feet  in  breadth,  and  looks  inflamed  like  the 
Eed  Eiver,  the  Canadian  and  Arkansas,  which  rise  nearly 
in  the  same  region.  I  tasted  its  water  and  found  it  sweet 
and  decidedly  cold.  The  old  Mexican  told  us  there  were 
many  places  where  it  could  be  forded,  but  in  the  moun- 
tains it  was  not  always  easy  to  get  out,  on  account  of  the 
steepness  of  the  banks.  It  is  a  grand  river,  and  with  dredg- 
ing could  be  made  navigable  many  hundred  miles  above 
its  mouth — at  least  as  high  up  as  the  mouth  of  the  Pecos. 

On  the  Mexican  side  it  was  rough  and  mountainous, 
the  same  as  on  the  Texan,  with  little  or  no  valley,  and 
uninhabited.  Our  guide  led  us  ten  or  twelve  miles  over  a 
high  rolling  prairie,  with  many  mesquite  trees,  and  rich 
in  grass.  At  last  we  reached  a  large  road,  coming  from 
the  heart  of  Mexico,  leading  north-east.  Here  the  old 
Mexican  halted  and  said  :  "  This  will  take  you  to  Presidio 
before  sunset.  I  can  go  no  further."  I  gave  him  a  ten- 
dollar  gold  piece,  at  which  he  smiled  and  said  :  ^'  Muchas 
gracias,  senor ;  Dios  tenga  ustedes  a  sus   manosy\     He 

*  When  I  spoke  of  this  old  fellow  at  Presidio,  they  said  my  impression  of  him 
was  doubtless  correct. 

t ''  Many  thanks,  senor ;  may  God  hold  you  in  his  hands." 


356     TWO  THOUSAND   MILES   IK    TEXAS  OK  HORSEBACK. 

turned  and  rode  away  over  the  prairie  in  the  direction 
whence  we  had  come. 

As  we  rode  on,  the  country  was  so  like  West  Texas 
that  it  would  be  quite  impossible  to  distinguish  them 
apart,  and  we  could  hardly  feel  ourselves  in  a  foreign 
land.  In  the  evening,  however,  we  rode  into  an  army  of 
diminutive  jackasses  with  huge  piles  of  mesquite  wood, 
bigger  than  themselves,  fastened  to  their  backs  and  flanks 
with  cords.  By  the  side  of  each  walked  a  Mexican  boy, 
frequently  pounding  him  with  a  club,  and  yelling — "  hurro 
carajo  ! "  This  scene  was  totally  strange,  and  only  then 
did  I  appreciate,  that  I  was  in  a  country  over  which  our 
flag  does  not  float.  We  asked  the  little  fellows  how  far  to 
Presidio,  and  about  a  dozen  responded,  with  much  sweet- 
ness of  voice  :  "  Tres  millas,  senores,''''  They  ceased  their 
gabbling  and  carajos,  and  tried  to  behave  like  little  gen- 
tlemen while  we  were  among  them.  They  were  all  quite 
handsome,  though  illy  clad  and  not  shod  at  all,  and  were 
from  a  reddish- white  to  a  bright  yellow  color.  None  of 
them  were  black,  which  causes  me  to  believe  that  the 
blackness  of  many  of  the  Mexicans  is  of  slow  growth  and 
the  effect  of  climate.  About  sunset  we  rode  into  the  city 
and  asked  for  a  hotel,  and  were  told  that  there  was  none  in 
the  place.  At  last,  however,  we  secured  a  room,  with  no 
furniture  except  two  long  benches,  and  a  yard  for  our 
horses.  We  bought  provender  for  our  horses,  and  did  our 
own  cooking.  At  night  we  spread  our  blankets  on  the 
floor,  which  was  the  naked,  but  clean-swept  earth. 


DIVISION  VII. 


Presidio  Del  Norte. — Asses  akd  Goats. 

AFTER  breakfast  I  walked  abroad,  leaving  the  soldiers 
to  their  liberty.  Presidio  has  a  population  of  three 
thousand  or  less,  and  is  built  entirely  of  one-story  adobe 
houses,  all  so  much  alike  that  they  seem  to  have  dropped 
from  the  same  mould.  It  is  impossible  for  a  place  to  be 
more  of  a  oneness  than  this  ;  and  yet,  to  the  American 
stranger,  it  is  a  place  in  which  he  can  pass  a  day  or  two 
with  interest.  It  seemed  to  me  as  I  walked  along  its 
streets,  that  I  had  slid  back  into  the  past  at  least  a  thou- 
sand years.  There  is  nothing  whatever  of  the  city  of  the 
present  age  here,  either  in  the  architecture  or  the  people  ; 
no  bustling  commerce,  no  whirr  of  machinery,  no  rattling 
carriages  or  rumbling  wagons.  The  diminutive  and  pa- 
tient jackass,  that  can  neither  be  coaxed  nor  driven  out  of 
a  slow  walk,  supplies  all  the  transportation  that  is  needed  ; 
and  the  people  walk  leisurely  about — not  with  the  appear- 
ance of  having  nothing  to  do,  but  rather  that  they  have 
ample  time  to  do  it  in,  and  it  were  as  well  done  a  month 
hence  as  to-day.  They  appear  contented  and  even  happy, 
as  if  well  pleased  with  what  the  gods  have  given,  and  per- 
fectly willing  to  leave  to  them  the  morrow.  I  doubt  if 
they  have  any  distinct  idea  of  a  verb  in  the  future  tense. 
If  to  be  happy  be  the  aim  of  our  life,  I  see  no  reason  why 


358     TWO  THOUSAND   MILES   IK   TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK. 

any  one  should  complain  of  the  Mexicans ;  for  they  seem 
to  fill  that  condition  as  completely  as  any  people  I  ever 
saw — at  least,  they  do  in  Presidio.  Perhaps  they  ridicule 
the  restless  bustling  and  aspirations  of  the  Americans,  as 
much  as  we  do  their  indolent  and  careless  sleepy-head. 

There  are  a  great  many  shops  here,  perhaps  more  than 
in  an  American  town  of  the  same  population,  but  the 
stocks  of  a  great  majority  of  them  are  so  inconsiderable 
that  to  supply  one  jackass  load  would  deplete  a  whole 
block.  Yet  on  these  small  stocks,  averaging  not  more 
than  fifty  to  one  hundred  dollars  in  value,  the  Mexican 
merchant  will  support  himself,  a  large  wife  and  a  host  of 
children,  and  at  the  same  time  sustain  an  excellent  credit. 
Goats  are  more  numerous  here  than  the  people,  and  the  air 
is  redolent  with  their  strange,  coolish  smell.  These  ani- 
mals are  a  very  important  part  of  the  community  ;  indeed, 
without  them  Presidio  would  probably  dissolve  and  fall  to 
pieces.  It  costs  nothing  to  feed  them,  and  they  supply 
the  Mexican  merchant  with  abundance  of  rich  milk,  and  a 
tender  kid  for  meat  whenever  desired  ;  thus  saving  him 
from  touching  his  capital  invested  in  commerce.  Next  to 
the  goat  the  ass  is  very  numerous,  insomuch  that  one  can 
hardly  meet  a  lady  promenading  the  street,  but  that  one 
or  more  asses  will  be  found  walking  by  her  side.  These 
creatures  are  also  very  important  factors  in  society  here, 
costing  nothing  to  take  care  of  them,  and  performing  all 
the  duties  that  are  performed  by  horse  and  wagon  in  Ameri- 
can communities.  If  a  Mexican  merchant  has  a  few  goats 
and  a  wife  to  milk  them,  and  an  ass  and  a  six-year  old  boy 
to  drive  him,  and  fifty  dollars  capital  in  merchandise, 
with  his  frugal  habits  he  should  grow  rich  ;  for  to  the  free 
gifts  of  the  goats,  the  ass  and  boy  add  fuel  without  cost, 
and  if  perchance  more  is  gathered  than  is  needed  in  the 
household,  he  can  rapidly  increase  his  capital  in  merchan- 
dise by  selling  fuel  to  his  neighbors  who  have  not  an  ass 


TWO   THOUSAKD   MILES   liT   TEXAS   OJ^  HORSEBACK.     359 

and  a  boy.  Thus  it  may  be  said  that  the  whole  fabric  of 
Presidio  rests  on  goats  and  asses,  and  if  they  were  taken 
away,  total  disintegration  would  result.  That  it  is  no  bad 
basis  to  rest  upon,  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  all  are  con- 
tented and  happy.  People  are  apt  to  resemble  in  many 
respects  the  animals  they  have  most  to  do  with,  or  are 
most  dependent  upon,  and  I  am  unable  to  decide  whether 
the  Mexicans  are  more  like  the  ass  or  the  goat ;  but  they 
are  as  thorough  a  mixture  of  the  two  as  it  is  possible  to 
conceive.  The  Mexicans  even  say  of  themselves  that  they 
are  muy  caprote,^  and  in  Presidio  they  have  a  distinct  odor 
of  a  goat. 

How  THE  YiiTE  Flourishes. 

There  are  two  or  three  stores  here  of  some  size,  one 
kept  by  a  young  American  who  buwried  himself  in  this  re- 
mote place  to  make  money,  and  has  succeeded  in  doing  so. 
He  says  money  is  plentiful,  and  I  could  hardly  compre- 
hend it  until  I  took  a  short  ride  in  the  valley  of  the  Rio 
Grande,  above  the  city.  It  is  a  field  of  wealth,  two  to 
three  miles  in  breadth,  extending  many  miles,  all  irrigated 
by  the  rich  waters  of  the  river.  Here  they  grow  great 
crops  of  corn,  wheat  and  barley,  which  they  sell  at  high 
prices,  mostly  to  the  contractors  who  supply  the  Mexican 
and  U.  S.  military  posts  on  either  side  of  the  river.  Here 
also  are  great  vineyards,  as  rich  as  tliose  of  old  Spain,  and 
wine  and  brandy-making  is  a  principal  industry.  These 
latter  find  their  way  all  over  Mexico,  and  are  not  uncom- 
mon on  the  boards  of  gentlemen  of  Western  Texas.  This 
wine,  which  is  sold  at  a  dollar  a  gallon  or  less,  is  much  like 
still  Catawba,  and  as  for  the  brandy,  it  is  infinitely  prefer- 
able to  that  which  is  usually  sold  in  the  United  States  as 
French  brandy.  It  is  very  strong,  but  there  is  a  peculiar 
fruity  flavor  about  it  that  is  pleasant,  and  one  can  drink  it 

*  Very  goaty. 


^60     TWO   THOUSAND    MILES    IN   TEXAS   O:^    HORSEBACK. 

with  full  confidence  that  there  is  nothing  in  it  that  is 
spurious.  The  finest  onions  in  the  world  also  grow  here. 
They  are  so  excellent  that  one  can  eat  them  almost  as  we 
do  an  apple  in  the  United  States.  There  are  pear  trees 
here  two  to  three  feet  in  circumference.  The  rain-fall 
does  not  exceed  twelve  inches  a  year,  and  nearly  all  of  it 
falls  in  one  or  two  showers,  and  yet  with  irrigation  they 
have  all  these  blessings  in  abundance  !  What  surpassing 
glory  would  be  that  of  Western  Texas,  if  they  only  had  the 
enterprise  of  the  Mexican  there  to  irrigate  their  valleys,  by 
building  a  few  dams  and  digging  a  few  ditches  ! 

These  people  cultivate  the  ground  precisely  as  the  first 
inhabitants  of  the  world  did.  They  merely  scratch  the 
surface  with  a  wooden  plow,  and  sometimes  they  work 
whole  fields  with  no  other  instrument  than  a  hand-hoe. 
The  American  merchant  at  Presidio  tells  me  that  he  has 
tried  in  vain  to  introduce  American  implements  of  tillage  : 
the  absurd  Mexicans  simply  laughed  at  the  heavy  Ameri- 
can weapons.  Fortunately  the  soil  is  a  soft,  sandy  loam, 
very  docile  even  to  their  poor  implements. 

They  tell  me  that  this  city  is  over  two  hundred  years 
old  and  that  its  history  is  romantic.  It  sits  in  the  midst 
of  a  vast  solitude  in  every  direction,  except  a  narrow 
strip  running  a  considerable  distance  up  the  river. 
All  else  is  Indians,  lions,  jaguars,  cougars,  wolves,  et 
cetera. 

The  Mexican  Snob. — How  Greatness  Feels. 

After  dinner,  while  smoking  mj  puro,  a  neatly  dressed 
Mexican  gentleman,  with  something  of  a  sprightly  and 
even  distinguished  air,  entered  my  apartment.  He  could 
speak  English  tolerably,  and  asked  me  if  he  had  the  honor 
to  address  so-and-so,  calling  my  name  ?  On  assuring  him 
that  he  had  my  name  right,  he  gave  me  his  own,  and  im- 
mediately proceeded  to  address  me,  in  what  sounded  like 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IK   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.     361 

a  set  speech.  He  said  that  he  had  long  been  acquainted 
with  my  fame  as  a  soldier,  statesman  and  scholar,  and  was 
proud  to  pay  his  respects  in  person.  He  gave  me  a  warm 
welcome  to  Mexico  ;  assured  me  that  all  Mexicans  would 
do  the  same,  wherever  I  should  go  in  their  territory,  and 
expressed  the  hope  that  I  was  pleased  with  the  country 
as  far  as  I  had  seen  it.  The  gentlemen  of  Presidio 
were  anxious  to  pay  their  respects  to  me  in  public,  and 
if  I  would  do  him  the  honor  to  appoint  the  time,  he  would 
only  be  too  proud  to  introduce  them  to  me  in  the  rooms 
of  the  Alcalde.  He  begged  that  I  would  accord  him  that 
honor  and  pleasure. 

I  at  first  thought  the  man  was  lunatic,  and  was  about 
to  cut  him  short  in  his  oratory,  when,  regarding  him  more 
closely,  I  thought  I  observed  in  him  a  Mexican  snob  upon 
whom  some  one  had  played  a  trick.  As  I  had  often  seen 
such  fellows  and  been  amused  at  their  laughable  ways 
around  great  men,  I  concluded  to  humor  the  joke,  and 
therefore  made  a  speech  to  him  with  considerable  dignity, 
putting  on,  too,  an  air  of  great  sapience.  1  assured  him 
that  I  felt  infinite  pleasure  in  receiving  his  call.  To  him 
who  has  labored  for  his  country  and  mankind,  there  is 
nothing  so  sweet  as  the  evidences  that  his  labors  have  re- 
ceived recognition ;  and  it  is  indeed  very  sweet  to  me  to 
know  that  I  have  made  friends  even  in  foreign  lands.  It 
is  a  great  incentive  to  other  work,  and  the  recollection  of 
'  this  recognition  and  visit  from  you  to-day,  sir,  will  sweeten 
my  future  labors.  (He  bowed  with  humility.)  Horace, 
in  his  assurance  of  immortality,  says  that  even  he  that 
drinks  of  the  Danube  shall  read  and  praise  him.  How 
sweet  it  must  be  to  him,  in  the  abode  of  the  great  spirits 
whither  he  has  gone,  to  know  that  even  his  imagination 
could  not  measure  the  boundary  of  his  fame  ;  for  he  that 
drinks  of  the  Rio  Grande  and  the  Conchas  also  reads  and 
praises  him  !    I  fancy,  sir,  that  I  feel  to-day  something  of 


362     TWO   THOUSAJSTD   MILES  li^  TEXAS   0]^   HORSEBACK. 

this  pleasure  which  Horace  must  feel,  when  I  receive  the 
assurance  that  he  who  drinks  of  the  Eio  Grande  and  Con- 
chas knows  and  esteems  me.  (xlnother  bow,  accompanied 
with  a  smile  of  approbation.)  But  I  should  be  too  vain 
to  receive  this  honor  as  entirely  personal.  'No  small  part 
of  it,  I  know,  sir,  is  intended  for  the  great  republic  from 
which  I  come.  It  is  an  evidence  of  the  mutual  friendship 
that  should  characterize  the  relations  of  the  two  great 
American  republics.  Side  by  side,  in  the  closest  amity,  let 
them  be  the  example  by  which  tyrants  shall  tremble,  and 
the  oppressed  of  all  nations  be  made  happy.  (A  very  low 
bow\)  I  then  stated  that  while  I  had  a  high  appreciation 
of  the  honor,  I  must  decline  the  public  reception  in  the 
halls  of  the  Alcalde  ;  that  I  had  particular  reasons  for  de- 
siring to  travel  incognito  and  in  an  exceedingly  private 
way.  It  would  afford  me  great  pleasure  to  take  every 
citizen  of  Presidio  by  the  hand,  but  under  the  circum- 
stances, which  he  would  appreciate,  I  must  deny  myself 
the  pleasure. 

We  then  took  each  other  by  the  hand,  with  great  cor- 
diality, he  receiving  '^  beatitude  past  utterance,"  and  I 
feeling  no  little  ashamed  of  myself,  but  suppressing  it 
well.  He  begged  that  he  might  at  least  have  the  honor 
of  attending  me  through  the  city,  to  show  me  the  points 
of  interest,  and  give  me  such  insight  as  he  could  into  the 
industries  of  the  people.  To  this  I  consented,  and  we 
walked  out  together  ;  he  talking  incessantly  and  appearing 
the  happiest  man  I  had  ever  seen.  I  felt  myself  somewhat 
distended  with  pride  at  being  able  to  bestow  such  exquisite 
happiness ;  but  more  than  once  my  pride  came  near  being 
lost  in  the  sense  of  the  ridiculous.  For  the  first  time  in 
my  life  I  felt  how  greatness  feels,  and  was  not  displeased 
with  the  sensation.  He  led  me  everywhere,  and  I  could 
not  fail  to  notice  that  wherever  he  saw  an  unusual  assem- 
blage of  men  or  women,  he  would  find  some  excuse  to 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   OX   HORSEBACK.     363 

take  me  in  the  midst  of  it,  and  his  attentions  at  such 
places  were  quite  overwhehning.  I  went  round  with  him 
a  long  time,  until  I  grew  tired  ;  but  he  showed  no  ten- 
dency to  leave  me  to  my  peace.  At  last  his  company  be- 
came irksome,  and  yet  I  could  not  make  him  see  it  in  any 
genteel  or  oblique  way.  His  perception  of  decency  was 
utterly  lost  in  the  happiness  of  being  allowed  to  pay  me 
attentions  and  show  himself  off  around  me.  I  had  made 
up  my  mind  to  tell  him  that  he  had  been  deceived,  and 
that  I  was  simply  a  very  plain  citizen,  unknown  to  fame  ; 
but  on  reflection  I  thought  this  would  be  cruel  and  hurt 
his  feelings  too  severely.  Finally  I  got  rid  of  him  under 
the  pretence  that  I  had  some  very  important  writing  to  do, 
and  Avould  be  happy  to  see  him  on  another  occasion.  Thus 
I  felt  the  annoyance,  also,  to  which  great  men  are  subject, 
and  thought  it  was  of  the  most  poignant  sort.  It  is  dis- 
tressing not  to  be  left  to  one's  privacy  when  one  desires  it. 
This  man  did  some  writing  for  the  great  man  of  the 
city,  the  Alcalde,  and  had  formerly,  as  he  told  me,  been 
connected  in  some  way  with  the  Governor  of  Chihuahua. 
He  had  thus  had  some  inkling  of  greatness,  and  having 
no  light  of  his  own,  was  happy  to  shine  by  the  light  of 
others.  He  was  said  to  be  the  happiest  of  all  men  when 
allowed  to  put  on  airs  at  the  feet  of  the  great,  and  be  the 
usher  by  whom  others  approached  them.  He  was  not 
without  intelligence,  and  very  inoffensive,  though  some- 
times said  to  be  supercilious,  when  around  great  men,  to 
those  whom  he  considered  not  rich,  and  extremely  patron- 
izing to  those  known  to  be  so.  His  attentions  to  me 
originated  from  my  soldiers,  who,  probably  to  raise  their 
own  importance,  had  spread  it  around  that  I  was  a  great 
ex-general  and  scholar,  travelling  privately  for  my  health, 
and  that  the  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  United  States 
had  detailed  them  to  accompany  me,  as  a  special  guard 
of  honor. 


364     TWO  THOUSAND   MILES   IK   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK. 


Presidio  at  Night. — A  Fandango. 

At  night  Presidio  resounded  with  the  thrumming  of 
guitars,  the  screeching  of  accordeons,  the  braying  of  asses 
and  the  bleating  of  goats.  The  whole  population  seemed 
bent  on  music.  I  was  told  by  an  American  trader  on  a 
visit  to  the  city,  that  there  would  be  a  great  fandango,  and 
if  I  felt  curious  to  see  one  he  would  go  with  me.  I  felt 
curious,  and  at  ten  o'clock,  we  walked  together  into  the 
chaparral,  a  half  mile  from  the  city,  and  there  found  a  large 
number  of  men  and  women  dancing  in  the  open  air,  to 
harps  and  violins.  At  intervals  they  would  suspend  the 
dancing  and  give  themselves  up  to  eating  chile  con  came — 
a  hash  of  dried  beef,  furiously  hot  with  red-pepper — at 
the  numerous  booths  erected  about  the  lights,  or  prome- 
nade in  the  chaparral.  The  men  were  attired  but  little 
better  than  usual,  but  the  women  were  dressed  m  pretty 
costumes  of  bright  red  or  white,  which  barely  reached  their 
knees,  with  tight-fitting  stockings  and  slippers.  When  the 
dress  was  red,  the  stockings  were  usually  white,  and  vice 
versa.  They  invariably  wore  ornaments  of  flowers  about 
their  heads,  and  many  of  them  were  very  pretty.  Some- 
times they  would  join  in  little  groups  and  sing  to  the 
guitar,  the  music  being  ballads  or  melting  songs  of  love* 
The  country  fandangos  are  said  to  be  innocent,  as  much  as 
rustic  amusements  generally  are,  but  in  the  cities  they  have 
apparently  been  corrupted,  and  seem  to  me  but  a  mere 
convenience  for  sin.  They  are  said  often  to  end  in  drunk- 
enness, debauchery,  and  sometimes  in  murder.  They  are 
universal  throughout  Mexico,  and  wherever  the  Mexicans 
'  are  numerous.  In  cities  they  are  not  attended  by  the  bet- 
ter class  of  either  males  or  females.  There  was  nothing 
boisterous  in  this  one  as  long  as  1  remained  to  see  it. 


II. 


AMo:t^G  THE  Prospectors. — The  Chiis'ati  Mountains. 

AT  this  point  my  westward  journey  terminated,  and  at 
early  morning  I  was  in  the  saddle,  accompanied  by 
a  government  contractor  to  furnish  the  troops  at  Fort 
Davis  with  flour,  and  a  gentleman  from  St.  Louis  inter- 
ested in  some  wines,  and  who  was  establishing  smelting 
works  in  Presidio.  We  crossed  into  Texas  and  rode  north 
over  a  fine  stock  country,  but  uninhabited,  until  we  reached 
the  Chinati  Mountains,  the  loftiest  and  most  rugged  group 
I  had  yet  encountered.  Their  altitude  is  five  thousand  feet, 
and  they  consist  mostly  of  basaltic  rocks,  but  many  of  them 
are  capped  and  partly  flanked  with  Cretaceous  rocks,  show- 
ing that  they  were  upheaved  at  the  close  of  that  formation, 
or  during  the  Tertiary.  Wherever  a  spot  with  soil  can  be 
found  in  these  mountains,  there  is  a  magnificent  growth 
of  cedar  ;  enough  to  tie  all  the  railroads  in  Texas.  After 
resting  at  a  large  spring  at  the  foot  of  the  mountains,  we 
walked  into  them  to  see  the  metallic  veins.  They  were 
very  numerous.  Iron  seemed  without  end,  and  copper  was 
very  abundant,  and  we  visited  several  veins  of  silver  lead, 
some  of  them  twenty  feet  wide,  of  length  and  depth  un- 
known. The  St.  Louis  gentleman  had  opened  some  of 
these  a  few  feet,  and  sending  the  ores  to  St.  Louis  for 
analysis,  had  received  the  following  returns  : 

No.  1.  13  oz.  value  per  ton  of  ore  $16.80 

No.7.  15oz.  "  "  19.30 

No.8.59oz.  "  "  76.28 

No.  9.  20oz.  »»  **  25.85 


366    TWO  thousa:n^d  miles  ix  texas  on  horseback. 

This  is  the  value  of  the  silver  alone,  for  in  this  remote 
region,  lead  cannot  pay  for  its  transportation,  and  no 
account  is  taken  of  it.  Another  specimen  of  ore  from  a 
vein  which  I  did  not  see,  was  reported  by  the  same 
chemists,*  as  follows  : 

Silver  per  ton  of  ore $144.80 

Lead  from  same  ore. ; M.2o 

Specimens  of  the  copper  ore  were  reported  by  these 
chemists  to  yield  twenty  per  cent  of  metallic  copper.  All 
these  ores  are  greatly  abundant,  yet  not  more  so  than  I 
saw  in  other  mountains  of  Presidio  County,  and  the  seeing 
of  them  only  confirmed  the  conviction  that  I  had  before, 
that  this  region  must  inevitably  develop  one  of  the  great- 
est mineral  wealths  in  the  world.  The  very  same  rocks  in 
Mexico,  just  across  the  Rio  Grande  in  Chihuahua,  pour 
out  millions  of  silver  and  copper  annually,  and  there  is  no 
doubt  in  my  mind  that  these  will  do  the  same. 

The  sole  occupants  of  these  mountains,  besides  the 
occasional  miners,  are  a  few  shepherds  who  herd  their 
flocks  along  its  flanks,  and  stand  guard  over  them  night 
and  day,  to  save  them  from  the  wolves  and  lions  of  the 
mountains.  From  the  latter  particularly,  the  faithful 
shepherd-dog  would  be  slim  protection. 

Leaving  the  two  gentlemen,  I  bore  again  northwest- 
ward with  my  soldiers,  over  a  rolling,  treeless  plain,  with 
ranges  of  mountains  in  sight  in  every  direction,  until  a 
little  before  night-fall  we  reached  a  fine  creek,  with  noble, 
irrigable  valley,  flowing  from  the  north  toward  Presidio. 
This  is  Providence  Creek,  and  so  rich  are  its  lands  and 
beautiful  its  water  that  it  well  deserves  its  name.  Here 
we  have  willow  and  cotton-wood.  The  grass  is  rich,  and 
we  lodged  upon  it  for  the  night. 

*  Chauvenet  and  Blair,  St.  Louis. 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IK   TEXAS  OK   HORSEBACK.     367 


III. 


Did  not  sleep  well :  wolves  exceedingly  clamorous  and 
bold  :  rose  twice  during  the  night  to  discharge  shot  at 
them  and  drive  them  off.  Heard  the  roar  of  the  lion  or 
black  jaguar  from  the  cliffs  that  overlooked  our  encamp- 
ment. In  the  saddle  at  early  dawn.  Rode  thirty-five 
miles  up  the  beautiful  valley  and  encamped.  Saw  many 
veins  of  iron  and  copper  crossing  the  creek  bed ;  also 
vems  of  quartz  with  indications  of  gold.  Agates  and 
opals  abundant ;  gathered  several  of  the  most  beautiful  I 
ever  saw. 


13 


IV. 


A  Supper  Lost. — The  Boast  of  the  Coward. 

ALTHOUGH  we  had  seen  many  deer  during  the  day, 
we  had  not  killed  any,  and  were  without  fresh  meat. 
After  our  horses  were  turned  on  the  grass,  I  walked  up 
the  creek,  hoping  for  a  successful  shot.  About  a  mile  up 
I  reached  a  point  where  the  creek  forks,  and  saw  a  num- 
ber of  deer  feeding  on  the  plot  between  the  two  streams. 
I  crept  unobserved  up  the  bed  of  one  of  these,  and 
leisurely  selecting  the  one  that  seemed  best,  I  brought  him 
down  at  two  hundred  yards.  The  others  were  so  aston- 
ished that  they  merely  jumped  at  the  crack  of  the  rifle, 
and  then  stopped  to  stare  around.  When  they  saw  me, 
however,  they  bounded  away  post-haste.  I  took  the  hams 
and  part  of  the  ribs  of  the  fallen  one,  and  was  moving 
straight  down  tbe  valley  when  something  impelled  me  to 
look  back.  As  I  did  so  I  saw  two  black  objects  suddenly 
dip  behind  the  cliff  that  looked  over  the  valley  from  the 
north.  I  stood  still  a  moment,  watching,  but  saw  them  no 
more.  I  felt  at  once  that  I  had  been  watched  by  In- 
dians, who  were  trying  to  surround  me  by  stealing  down 
the  bed  of  the  two  streams,  and  had  left  the  two  on  the 
cliff  to  watch  and  signal  to  them  my  movements.  With 
this  conviction  I  hurried  to  the  nearest  creek,  to  avoid  ex- 
posing myself  on  the  narrow  tongue  between  the  two,  and 
bounded  across  it  almost  with  the  speed  of  a  buck,  expect- 
ing every  second  to  receive  a  shower  of  arrows.  When  in 
the  open  valley  where  nothing  could  steal  upon  me  unseen, 


TWO   THOUSAND    MILES   IK   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.     369 

and  too  far  from  either  cliff  or  creek-bed  to  be  killed 
by  arrows,  I  stopped  to  observe,  but  saw  nothing.  Still  I 
believed  Indians  were  about,  and  when  in  camp  told  the 
soldiers  what  I  had  seen  and  my  suspicions.  As  we  already 
had  fire  blazing  and  coffee  boiling,  we  concluded  we  would 
cook  some  of  our  meat  and  then  steal  away  in  the  dark, 
which  was  coming  upon  us  as  each  of  us  sat  down  to  roast 
a  big  chunk  of  venison. 

Ten  minutes  after  this,  while  I  was  enjoying  a  strong 
cup  of  black  coffee,  one  of  our  horses  snorted  violently. 
^'  There  they  are,  boys,"  said  I,  "  trying  to  set  us  afoot.  Let's 
to  the  rescue  !  "  Each  seized  his  rifle  and  ran  for  the  horses, 
which  witJi  heads  erect,  were  staring  toward  the  hills  that 
came  down  to  the  valley  from  the  west.  As  I  reached  my 
horse  I  saw  something  indistinctly  slipping  along  rapidly 
toward  the  shadow  of  the  hills.  It  might  be  Indian  or  it 
might  be  wolf — so  I  raised  my  gun  and  fired  upon  it. 
John  Powell  saw  the  same  object  or  a  similar  one,  and  also 
let  fly  with  his  rifle.  A  few  moments  afterward  we  heard 
a  cry  or  squall  like  that  of  a  cougar  from  the  hills  in  the 
direction  we  had  fired,  to  which  a  similar  voice  immedi- 
ately responded  from  a  point  a  little  lower  down. 

"  Thar  now  ! "  said  Jones  Johns  with  a  laugh  ; 
^^  nothing  but  a  squalling  painter  to  kick  up  all  this 
muss." 

^^  Perhaps  so,"  said  I;  ^^but  let  us  be  on  our  guard. 
These  painters  are  sometimes  dangerous." 

^^Ef  that  was  a  painter,"  said  John  Powell,  ''that  I 
shot  at — ef  he  didn't  walk  straight  up  like  a  man  you  may 
get  my  good  eye.  Injuns  can  play  painter,  but  painters 
can't  play  Injun." 

I  thought  John  Powell's  reasoning  was  good,  and  be- 
sides, if  the  object  I  shot  at  had  not  looked  suspiciously  I 
would  not  have  shot  at  it.  It  did  not  seem  to  me  prone 
enough  for  wolf  or  ''painter."     I  therefore  ordered  that 


370     TWO   THOUSAKD   MILES   IK   TEXAS    OX    HORSEBACK. 

we  take  our  horses  and  stake  them  within  a  few  feet  of  iis, 
with  saddles  on  ;  which  was  done. 

We  then  sat  by  the  fire  watching  our  fat  venison,  which 
dripped  gravy  and  sent  forth  a  delicious  odor,  occasionally 
turning  it  on  the  sticks.  ''  What  is  that  ?  Didn't  you 
hear  something  say  *  ker-flip  ? ' "  said  Jones  Johns.  I 
became  attentive,  and  the  next  moment  heard  a  distinct 
whirr  through  the  air,  as  of  some  diminutive  feathered 
creature  passing  rapidly  overhead.  ^'  It  is  some  small 
night-bird,"  said  I.     A  second  later — 

^^  Ah  !  "  said  Jones  Johns,  jumping  up  ;  ^'here'g  your 
night-bird  !     Here  it  is  for  a  fact !  " 

An  arrow,  feathered  and  painted,  had  stuck  into  the 
ground  immediately  in  front  of  him,  which,  had  it  been 
aimed  a  single  point  higher,  would  have  struck  him  square 
in  the  belly.  We  all  jumped  up  at  sight  of  this  fearful 
apparition,  and  as  we  did  so,  others  dropped  around  us  in 
quick  succession,  all  coming  from  the  opposite  side  of  the 
creek.  There  was  a  long  stone  three  or  four  feet  high, 
lying  a  few  paces  from  the  fire,  and  I  told  the  soldiers  to 
gather  their  horses  quickly,  and  let  us  conceal  ourselves 
behind  it.  We  did  so  in  a  moment,  and  there  sat  as  still 
as  mice.  The  arrows  continued  to  drop  around  the  fire  a 
few  seconds,  but  ceased  when  the  lurking  Indians  saw  that 
we  had  left.  We  had  the  mortification  of  seeing  our  veni- 
son take  fire  and  burn  to  soot.  Everything  was  silent,  and 
I  hoped  that  the  Indians,  thinking  that  they  had  fright- 
ened us  away,  would  venture  within  the  light  of  the  fire 
and  give  us  a  chance  to  return  their  compliment  with 
our  rifles.     But  they  were  too  sharp  for  that. 

Fully  a  half  hour  passed,  and  we  heard  nothing,  not 
even  a  stealthy  tread,  and  were  debating  in  a  low  voice  the 
propriety  of  mounting  and  moving  on,  when  an  owl  broke 
loose  with  his  wild  hoot  apparently  just  across  the  creek. 
This  was  f  ollow^ed  by  another  o'wl  and  another,  until  there 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IX   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.    371 

was  a  regular  uproar  of  owl-laughter.  This  ceased,  and 
then  a  lonesome  wolf  projected  a  melancholy  wail  over  the 
Talley,  which  was  answered  by  another  and  another  until 
we  had  a  regular  wolf  serenade  again.  This  ceased,  and 
then  a  distressed  panther  began  to  cry,  as  if  suffering  the 
most  terrible  misery — responded  to  at  once  by  another  and 
another,  till  the  air  seemed  literally  burdened  with  the 
singular  notes.  When  this  ceased,  after  a  short  interval 
of  quiet,  turkeys  gobbled,  owls  hooted,  wolves  howled,  and 
panthers  squealed  and  screamed  all  together,  making  the 
most  infernal  medley  I  had  ever  heard.  This  was  followed 
by  several  tremendous  whoops,  and  noises  that  seemed  made 
by  slapping  the  mouth  rapidly  with  the  hand  while  halloo- 
ing. 1  thought  that  we  could  creep  on  these  rascals  and  give 
them  a  volley  with  our  Winchesters,  but  knowing  their 
wily  habits,  I  was  afraid  they  might  steal  our  horses  while 
we  were  trying  to  shoot  them.  But  feeling  somewhat  in- 
sulted as  well  as  amused  by  their  infernal  noises,  which  they 
made  in  derision  of  us,  I  told  Jones  Johns,  who  had  the 
chest  of  a  bull  and  the  lungs  of  a  steamboat,  to  break  out 
as  loud  as  he  could,  with  the  most  unearthly  voice  that  he 
could  make,  and  that  Powell  and  myself  would  assist  him. 
He  did  so,  raising  undoubtedly  the  most  ungodly  sound 
that  ever  came  from  a  human  throat,  to  which  Powell  and 
myself  responded  with  the  best  that  we  could  do,  as  soon 
as  he  had  finished.  We  kept  this  up  for  some  time,  and 
if  there  was  less  method  in  our  medley,  I  am  satisfied  that 
we  raised  a  greater  fuss  than  the  Indians.  I  have  no  doubt 
that  for  a  time  at  least,  they  hung  their  heads  in  chagrin. 
It  seemed  to  us  from  their  report  that  there  were  about 
six  or  seven  of  them. 

After  we  had  suspended,  all  was  silent  for  a  while,  as 
if  the  Indians  were  considering  what  sort  of  noise  to  make 
next.  Finally,  a  lusty  fellow  yelled  out  in  a  loud  voice  : 
"  Americanos  I — Carajos ! — Cobardes  !  "  which  he  repeated 


372    TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK. 

two  or  three  times.  I  told  Jones  Johns  to  call  him  a  gut 
in  Spanish,  and  to  invite  him  to  call  over  to  see  us,  as  we 
had  something  good  for  him.  Johns  did  so,  in  an  exceed- 
ingly braggart  and  provoking  style.  The  Indian  responded 
with  some  words  of  very  beastly  signification,  and  as  I 
thought  that  we  could  tolerably  well  make  out  where  they 
stood  on  the  prairie,  I  ordered  a  volley,  and  we  all  fired  at 
once,  two  or  three  times  in  rapid  succession. 

Profound  peace  now  reigned  for  a  few  moments,  while 
the  Indians  were  rapidly  changing  their  base  ;  for  when 
they  again  reported  themselves,  they  were  evidently  about 
three  hundred  yards  further  away,  and  apparently  on  the 
bluff  of  the  valley.  They  opened  with  another  medley  of 
gobbler,  and  wolf  and  panther,  mixed  with  carajos  and 
other  dirty  Spanish  words  ;  but  we  paid  them  no  attention. 
^*Now,  boys,"  said  I,  ^'it  is  time  for  us  to  go  off  and  get 
some  sleep,  since  we  can't  get  a  battle  out  of  those  cow- 
ards." We  went  to  the  fire  and  contemplated  with  sorrow 
the  soot  of  our  fine  venison,  but  there  was  a  pot  of  coffee, 
and  we  had  a  great  enjoyment  of  it.  By  the  light  of  a 
live  coal,  I  saw  that  it  was  after  eleven  o'clock.  We  rode 
up  the  valley  two  hours,  and  then  went  into  a  dark  nook 
and  slept.  The  stars  were  gloriously  brilliant,  and  ere  we 
closed  our  eyes  an  extraordinary  meteor  passed  above  us, 
going  south,  with  a  great  light  and  a  hissing  and  crack- 
ling sound.  It  seemed  not  very  high  overhead,  and  was 
sloping  downward  ;  so  that  I  have  no  doubt  that  another 
remarkable  mass  of  rock  was  added  to  this  remarkable 
region.  Its  apparent  magnitude  was  many  times  that  of 
the  full  moon,  and  it  seemed  a  great  ball  of  fire,  with  little 
appearance  of  a  streamer  behind  it.* 

*  Some  of  the  most  remarkable  meteoric  stones  known  in  the  United  States, 
have  fallen  in  Texas.  One  in  Yale  College,  weighing  one  thousand  six  hundred 
and  twenty-five  pounds,  came  from  the  Staked  Plain ,  as  did  one  in  the  Geologi- 
cal Rooms  in  Austin,  of  several  hundred  pounds  weight.  It  is  remarkable  that 
these  masses  do  not  fall  except  in  lofty  or  rugged  regions  abounding  in  metals. 
Has  a  meteorite  ever  been  known  to  fall  in  a  low  Tertiary  country  ?  Such  an 
instance  is  not  within  my  knowledge. 


V- 


Departure  from  Friekds.  I 

A  REIVED  at  Van  Horn's  Well,  a  station  of  the  El 
Paso  and  San  Antonio  Stage  Company,  inhabited  by 
one  or  two  drivers  and  their  families,  and  a  dozen  or  so 
mules,  guarded  by  a  small  detail  of  soldiers.  I  had  in- 
tended to  visit  the  briny  lakes  on  the  great  plain,  and  the 
great  forests  of  pine  at  the  base  of  its  mountains,  thence 
east  to  the  Pecos  ;  but  I  saw  that  my  horse  was  no  longer 
fit  for  such  a  journey.  A  thousand  miles  of  almost  con- 
stant travel,  much  of  it  under  severe  thirst  and  hunger, 
had  reduced  him  to  a  gaunt,  skinny  frame,  with  feeble, 
lack-lustre  eyes.  He  had  been  failing  fast  the  last  few 
days.  He  seemed  to  beg  me  as  I  stroked  his  forehead  : 
*^  Pray  stop  your  wanderings,  and  give  me  food  and  rest.'^ 
The  soldiers'  horses  were  not  in  much  better  plight  than 
my  own.  I  therefore  looked  around  and  succeeded  in  sell- 
ing my  horse  and  his  equipments  for  forty  dollars,  which 
had  cost  me  one  hundred  and  four.  The  purchaser  im- 
mediately gave  him  a  tub  of  barley  and  treated  him  to  a 
thorough  rubbing  ;  during  which  he  looked  at  me  reproach- 
fully, as  if  he  would  say  :  ''  Well,  sir,  this  is  better  than 
anything  you  gave  me  among  those  rocks,  and  I  would 
rather  stay  with  this  man  than  you."  When  the  time 
approached  for  my  departure  I  went  to  the  soldiers  and 
gave  them  each  fifty  dollars.  They  seemed  loth  to  leave 
me,  to  make  their  way  back  to  Fort  Concho  alone,  and 
said,  if  I  should  come  this  way  again  and  want  an  escort, 
^^  please  call  for  us,  and  we  will  follow  you  to  the  jumping- 


374     TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IK   TEXAS   O:^  HORSEBACK. 

off  place."  I  believe  both  had  formed  a  strong  attach- 
ment for  me  ;  and,  certainly,  should  I  again  ride  oyer  dan- 
gerous ground  with  only  two  attendants,  I  would  choose 
none  before  them.  Had  we  become  involved  in  a  scrape, 
they  would  have  fought  like  tigers,  and  with  the  coolness 
of  icebergs.  As  the  stage  drove  furiously  up  I  took  them 
warmly  by  the  hands  and  bade  them  adieu. 

This  point  is  four  thousand  feet  above  the  sea  —  a 
gradual  ascent  of  one  thousand  eight  hundred  feet  from 
Presidio. 

The  Broncos. — The  Great  Plain". 

I  sat  on  the  seat  with  the  driver  to  enjoy  a  wider  pros- 
pect; and  no  sooner  had  the  men  who  held  the  mules 
taken  their  hands  from  the  bits,  than  away  they  sprang  at 
a  lope — sweeping  on  at  the  rate  of  eight  miles  an  hour. 
These  mules  are  from  Mexico,  and  are  called  broncos. 
They  are  headstrong,  furious  and  ungovernable,  and  when 
once  under  headway  they  cannot  be  stopped  until  they 
reach  their  regular  stations.  If  a  passenger  has  occasion 
to  stop  by  the  roadside,  the  best  the  driver  can  do  is  to 
rein  them  out  of  the  road  and  keep  the  coach  whirling  in 
a  circle  about  him.  He  must  get  out  and  back  again  at 
imminent  risk  of  breaking  his  bones.  Should  some  of  the 
machinery  become  disabled  by  the  way,  as  there  could  be 
no  stop  for  repairs,  total  destruction  would  most  surely 
follow.     They  drive  from  four  to  six  to  a  coach. 

We  bowl  over  a  great  rolling  plain,  that  seems  as  bound- 
less as  the  ocean,  with  distant  mountains  in  sight;  and  so 
we  continue  to  bowl  and  bowl  for  hour  after  hour,  the 
broncos  showing  no  signs  of  weariness.  The  road  is  stone- 
less  and  delightfully  smooth.  This  is  the  great  Llano 
Estacado,  or  Staked  Plain,  from  which  all  the  great  rivers 
of  Texas  except  the  Trinity,  leeches,  Sabine  and  San  An- 
tonio, derive  their  waters.     It  is  a  singular  looking  thing  : 


TWO   THOUSAKD   MILES  IlsT  TEXAS   ON"   HORSEBACK.     375 

with  table-lands  resembling  great  fortifications,  sitting  here 
and  there  upon  it.  There  are  no  trees,  but  some  thinly 
scattered  brush  of  mesquite,  and  the  grass  is  generally 
abundant  and  crisp  and  sweet.  This  is  reputed  to  be  a 
great  desert,  inhospitable  and  deadly ;  but  the  truth  is, 
the  soil  is  rich,  filled  with  marl  and  gypsum,  and  it  needs 
nothing  but  water  at  the  surface  to  make  it  a  mighty  land. 
How  can  it  be  waterless,  as  is  said,  Avhen  such  billions  of 
tons  of  water  flow  from  its  strata  every  day  ?  Beneath  it 
undoubtedly  lies  a  great  fountain,  which  the  Artesian  well 
would  cause  to  burst  to  the  top  and  pour  over  the  fertile  ex- 
panse. There  is  no  region  in  the  world  more  shamefully 
misrepresented.  It  is  capable  of  sustaining  millions  of 
cattle,  and  performing  as  much  for  the  general  good  as 
any  equal  expanse  of  territory  :  not  as  it  now  is,  but  as 
the  hands  of  man  could  easily  make  it.  There  are  some 
stretches  of  arid  sands,  but  they  are  not  deep,  and  the 
plow  would  soon  mingle  them  with  the  marly  clays  beneath, 
converting  them  into  lawns  of  verdure. 

Stopped  at  Muerto  Springs,  thirty  miles  from  Van 
Horn's  Well,  where,  we  changed  broncos.  This  place  is 
buried  amid  rugged  mountains,  at  an  elevation  of  five 
thousand  one  hundred  and  eighty  feet  above  the  sea.  It 
means  the  springs  "  of  the  Dead,"  and  was  formerly  called 
Dead  Man's  Hole.  Here  I  was  shown  a  specimen  of  gold- 
bearing  quartz,  rich  in  gold,  and  was  told  that  it  was 
abundant  in  the  neighborhood.  The  mountains  are  filled 
with  quartz  veins,  which  may  be  seen  from  the  stage-stand, 
running  up  their  sides  like  white  lines.  If  the  specimen 
that  I  saw  be  truly  from  this  region,  there  is  gold  here 
undoubtedly. 

Arrayed  t^  White. — The  Moj^-arch. 

A  few  miles  from  Muerto  a  group  of  remarkable  moun- 
tains appears,  whose  lofty  tops  I  had  beheld  from  afar  off. 


376     TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.    * 

At  a  distance  they  look  like  great  cones  of  white  cloud 
resting  upon  the  horizon.  These  mountains  are  seven 
thousand  feet  high,  and  are  composed  of  pure  white  quartz, 
which  gives  them  the  appearance  of  being  always  wrapped 
in  snow.  They  are  beautiful,  and  to  my  knowledge  their 
like  does  not  exist  in  the  world,  except  in  other  ranges  in 
this  same  region.  They  are  unnamed  and  should  have 
beautiful  names.  The  stage-driver  called  them  "  the 
White  Ladies  ; "  but  they  are  too  tremendously  big  to  be 
called  ladies.  I  had  an  ardent  desire  to  visit  these  moun- 
tains, but  of  course  could  not.  The  driver  said  :  ^'  They 
are  full  of  gold,  just  like  that  you  saw  at  Muerto."  Why 
is  it  that  Texas  will  not  appropriate  some  money,  and 
employ  some  distinguished  scientist  to  make  an  explora- 
tion of  this  remarkable  and  wonderful  region  ?* 

And  yet  a  few  miles  further,  the  monarch  of  all 
the  region  lifts  his  head  high  above  all  the  visible 
mountains,  and  grows  higher  and  broader  as  we  approach 
him  ;  blue  in  the  distance  and  grey  or  black  as  we  draw 
nearer.  He  is  seven  thousand  five  hundred  feet  high, 
or  more  than  a  thousand  feet  higher  than  the  vaunted 
Mount  Washington  of  New  Hampshire.  He  is  the  loftiest 
elevation  known  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  From  his 
appearance  I  judge  him  to  be  granitic,  and  doubt  not  that 
he  is  one  of  the  original  foot-stools.  '*  They  crowned  him 
long  ago."  He,  too,  is  unnamed.  Let  him  be  named 
after  that  Texan  who  shall  first  teach  the  Texans  to  love 
Nature  in  Texas,  and  appreciate  their  grand  State  as  they 

*  It  is  held  that  under  the  present  State  constitution  it  is  unlawful  to  appro- 
priate money  for  a  geological  survey.  One  of  the  leading  members  of  the  conven- 
tion that  formed  the  constitution  declared  in  that  body  :  "  Geology  is  a  humbug, 
and  I  know  it  to  be  so  !  "  It  is  most  remarkable  that  the  people  of  Texas  can 
be  imposed  upon  by  such  conceited  ignoramuses.  But  the  convention  agreed 
with  him,  and  the  result  of  it  is  that  probably  as  rich  a  mineral  region  as  there  is 
on  earth,  must  remain  idle  and  unknown  until  explored  by  private  enterprise. 
It  seems  to  be  the  pride  and  policy  of  other  communities  to  make  their  resources 
known,  but  of  these  latter-day  statesmen  to  hide  the  resources  of  Texas. 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IIST  TEXAS   OiT   HORSEBACK.     377 

should  ;  and  there  can  be  no  appreciation  of  it  by  those 
who  do  not  love  Nature  within  it. 

The  range  or  group  of  mountains  in  which  this  giant 
sits,  is  really  but  one  gigantic  mountain  with  a  multitude 
of  peaks  ;  their  apparent  base  being  at  an  elevation  of  at 
least  a  thousand  feet  above  the  subjacent  plains.  They 
are  well-timbered  with  cedar,  oaks  and  some  pines. 


VI. 


FoET  Dayis. — Mak's  Ii^humanitt. 

AERIVED  at  Fort  Davis,  and  here  found  myself  in 
an  evil  pliglit,  which  for  a  while  greatly  stirred  up 
my  feelings.  I  had  performed,  at  each  county-seat  that  I 
visited  on  my  route,  a  very  important  service  for  a  certain 
corporation,  which  service  the  said  corporation  had  vainly 
tried,  even  for  a  high  consideration,  to  get  some  one  else  to 
perform.  All  who  had  been  approached  refused  it,  say- 
ing it  was  worth  a  man's  life  to  attempt  it,  unless  under 
escort  of  a  company  of  soldiers.  As  it  would  not  much 
inconvenience  me,  I  agreed  to  perform  the  service  for  a 
part  of  my  expenses  and  a  right  to  draw  upon  the  presi- 
dent for  this  if  I  should  run  short  of  cash  on  the  trip. 
At  Concho  I  saw  that  I  should  need  more  money,  and  drew 
for  the  modest  sum  of  three  hundred  dollars,  making  the 
draft  returnable  at  Fort  Davis.  After  paying  the  costs  of 
this  service  and  settling  with  my  soldiers,  I  arrived  at  Fort 
Davis  with  hardly  a  dollar.  My  first  care,  therefore,  after 
a  night's  rest,  was  to  visit  the  party  to  whom  the  draft  had 
been  made  returnable.  I  introduced  myself  and  inquired 
about  the  draft.  ''  Yes,  sir,"  said  he.  He  then  took  the 
draft  from  a  letter  and  handed  it  to  me  without  another 
word,  and  across  the  face  was  written  ^'^  Not  accepted," 
signed  by  the  president  of  the  corporation.  There  is  no 
language  that  can  express  the  indignation  I  felt  at  that 
moment.  I  had  performed  the  dangerous  service  faith- 
fully, paying  the  cost  of  putting  upon  record  at  every 
county-seat  I  visited,  a  long  document  of  some  fifty  pages 


TWO   THOUSAlfTD   MILES   li^  TEXAS   02!^   HORSEBACK.     379 

of  legal  cap,  and  here  were  my  thanks  and  reward  !  Here 
I  was  left,  in  a  ^^  howling  wilderness/'  hundreds  of  miles 
from  ^^  nowhere/'  in  a  small  community  utterly  strange 
to  me,  without  a  dollar  to  buy  bread,  or  even  a  horse  to 
bear  me  out  of  it,  and  my  credit  rendered  hopeless  by  the 
return  upon  me  of  dishonored  paper  !  I  thought  it  the 
ghastliest  deed  within  my  experience  of  men,  and  so  I 
shall  always  think.  What  concern  had  they  for  me,  after 
I  had  performed  their  work  and  paid  for  it  ?  "  He  is  an 
orange  that  hath  been  sucked  !  Ah,  he  will  be  killed  ; 
he  will  never  return  from  this  tour,  and  this  will  be  so 
much  money  saved.  ^  A  penny  saved  is  a  penny  got.'" 
Ye  spirits,  who  vex  those  whose  consciences  are  dead,  and 
whose  souls  are  lost  in  Mammon,  remember  not  this  thing 
against  them  when  the  day  of  account  cometh,  and  your 
work  begins  !  They  are  ignorant  and  know  not  what  they 
do.  They  damn  themselves  when  they  think  to  make 
themselves.  At  that  moment  I  became  convinced  that  the 
project  in  which  they  are  engaged  must  come  to  an  igno- 
minious failure  upon  their  hands  ;  for  there  is  but  one 
monument  which  such  sublime  notions  of  integrity  and 
honor  as  this  can  erect,  and  that  is  a  monument  of  shame 
and  failure. 

But  my  position  seemed  so  disastrous  that  I  had  little 
heart  even  to  moralize.  iVhat  must  I  do  now  ?  The  only 
thing  is  to  stay  here  until  I  can  draw  upon  my  own  funds, 
and  it  will  take  three  weeks  to  do  this.  But  who  will  feed 
and  lodge  me,  a  stranger,  so  long  a  time,  when  I  am  with- 
out a  dollar  ?  I  resolved  to  visit  the  commandant  of  the 
post,  tell  him  my  awkward  position,  and  ask  him  to  put 
me  in  good  standing  with  the  inn-keeper  till  such  a  time. 
While  sitting  in  the  inn,  contemplating  the  probable  effect 
of  this  appeal  to  a  total  stranger,  I  heard  the  name  of  a 
certain  lieutenant  mentioned  in  a  group  of  men  who  were 
talking  near  me.     I  remembered  that  I  had  a  slight  ac- 


380    TWO  THOUSAND  MILES   IN  TEXAS   01^  HORSEBACK. 

quaintance  with  a  lieutenant  of  that  name,  and  asked  if 
his  initials  were  not  so  and  so?  ^^  Yes,  sir,"  said  the 
man  ;  ^^that  is  his  name,  and  he  is  stationed  at  this  post." 
I  determined  to  see  this  oflficer  first,  and,  calling  upon 
him,  he  recognized  me  at  once.  I  told  him  my  distress 
and  asked  for  a  loan  of  two  hundred  dollars.  "  I  will  sup- 
ply you,  sir,  with  pleasure,"  said  he.  I  felt  a  mountain 
lifted  off  my  heart.  He  not  only  gave  me  the  money,  hut 
introduced  me  to  some  ladies  of  the  post  and  did  all  he 
could  to  make  my  stay  agreeable.  Thus  did  this  accom- 
plished officer  do  for  the  sake  of  humanity  and  a  very 
slight  personal  acquaintance,  that  which  those  for  whom 
I  had  performed  an  arduous  and  dangerous  service,  would 
not  do  for  the  sake  of  honor  and  in  payment  of  a  just  debt, 
but  so  far  as  they  could,  had  turned  me  out  to  starvation. 
^^Look  upon  this  picture,  and  then  upon  that." 

I  said  to  the  officer  :  ^*  Well,  sir,  had  I  not  been  so  for- 
tunate as  to  meet  you  here,  would  not  my  position  have 
been  a  dreadful  one  ?  " 

^^Oh  no,"  said  he  ;  ^^you  would  have  had  nothing  to 
do  but  to  call  upon  the  commandant  as  you  did  upon  me, 
and  state  your  case.  Do  you  suppose  the  officers  would 
have  allowed  you  to  be  cast  adrift  in  this  wilderness  and 
reduced  to  extremities,  right  under  the  shadow  of  the  flag  ? 
'No,  indeed,  sir :  they  would  have  come  to  your  relief  as 
readily  as  I  have  done." 

Fort  Davis  is  the  county-seat  of  Presidio  county,  as 
well  as  a  military  post  of  the  United  States.  The  long 
document  in  my  possession  was  to  be  recorded  here  also, 
and  I  debated  within  myself  a  moment  as  to  whether  I 
should  use  a  part  of  the  money  I  had  borrowed  from  the 
lieutenant,  to  pay  for  this,  or  leave  it  undone,  and  thus 
put  the  considerate  corporation  to  the  expense  of  sending 
here  to  have  it  done.  I  soon  made  up  my  mind  to  return 
good  for  evil,  and  had  the  big  document  recorded,  paying 


TWO   THOUSAKD   MILES   li^  TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK.     381 

for  it  out  of  the  lieutenant's  money.  '^Now  look  upon 
this  picture,  then  upon  that ! "  Would  they  have  done 
the  same  for  me  ?  Even  the  credulous  Apella  would  not 
believe  it.  3i>;    :  '■;'  \Mj'^:^t^ 

The  position  of  Fort  Davis  is  extremely  picturesque 
and  peculiar.  It  has  borrowed  nothing  from  any  other 
scenery,  but  is  its  own  original.  It  sits  in  a  deep  green 
valley  wherein  fountains  bubble,  and  the  vine,  the  flowers 
and  the  fruits  of  the  field  flourish  by  irrigation.  It  is  a 
green  spot  in  the  wilderness,  and  ever  a  green  spot  in  the 
memory  of  all  who  see  it.  Mountains  in  fantastic  shapes, 
like  towers  and  minarets  and  domes,  look  upon  it  from  all 
sides,  and  in  the  distance  the  Monarch  and  the  White 
Ladies  lift  their  brows  into  the  clouds.  The  most  won- 
derful scenery  in  Texas  is  here  displayed,  and  the  moun- 
tains contain  minerals  and  gems.  It  sits  at  an  elevation 
of  ^ve  thousand  feet,  and  the  air  is  all  sweetness,  purity 
and  elasticity.  He  that  breathes  it  rejoices,  and  seems  to 
feel  new  life.  To  those  who  are  sick  with  the  lungs,  what 
place  can  match  this  ?  For  the  elevation  is  sufficient  to 
give  all  that  is  best,  and  not  enough  for  that  rarity  that 
is  hurtful.  One  must  be  poor  in  resources  who  cannot 
find  abundant  amusement  in  so  grand  and  strange  a  coun- 
try as  this.  The  necessity  of  carrying  arms  and  the 
suspicion  that  Comanches  and  Apaches  may  be  about,  are 
only  a  sort  of  seasoning  that  gives  zest  and  vigor  to  the 
limbs  and  courage  to  the  heart.  The  population  is  per- 
haps a  hundred, exclusive  of  the  military,  and  one  can  find 
pleasant  society. 

The  annual  rainfall  here  is  from  twelve  to  twenty 
inches,  most  of  which  falls  during  July  and  August.  It 
has  been  observed  that  the  rainfall  has  constantly  increased 
for  a  series  of  years.  The  summer  temperature  is  from 
seventy  to  seventy^five,  and  rarely  exceeds  the  latter  figure. 
How  delightful  for  summer  residence  !     In  winter  it  is 


382     TWO   THOUSAKD   MILES  IN   TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK. 

sometimes  severely  cold,  during  the  electrical  northers — 
mercury  having  once  been  known  to  sink  to  15°  below 
zero  ;  but  comfortable  quarters  are  readily  secured  and 
mesquite  roots  are  abundant.  The  usual  winter  tempera- 
ture I  can  hardly  distinguish  from  other  portions  of 
Texas ;  for  though  it  is  dead  winter,  I  take  walks  with  the 
ladies  after  sunset  and  enjoy  them  greatly. 

There  is  a  steam  flouring- mill  here,  and  considerable 
quantities  of  very  fine  wheat  are  raised  in  the  Tayah  val- 
ley, a  few  miles  north  of  this.  * 

*  Since  my  visit  Fort  Davis  has  increased  in  attractions  greatly,  and  now 
enjoys  a  weekly  newspaper. 


VII. 

LiMPiA  Oanyoit. 

AT  noon  of  the  third  day,  I  took  the  first  down-stage 
and  travelled  eastward  through  Limpia  Canyon. 
This  is  a  natural  pass  through  the  Apache  Mountains,  and 
the  only  one  that  is  practical  to  carriages  and  horsemen. 
It  derives  its  name  from  Limpia  Creek  which  passes  through 
the  canyon.  It  is  fifteen  miles  in  length,  its  greatest 
breadth  abgut  five  hundred  feet,  and  it  sometimes  narrows 
to  fifty  feet.  On  each  side  rises  a  black,  precipitous  wall 
of  basalt,  often  a  thousand  feet  or  more  in  height.  Some- 
times the  creek  passes  through  a  canyon  within  the  can- 
yon, so  deep,  dark  and  narrow  that  one  may  look  from  the 
brink  and  see  no  bottom  below.  The  stage  sometimes 
passes  on  the  very  edges  of  these  abysses,  and  the  slightest 
false  step  would  precipitate  all  to  destruction.  While 
riding  along  these,  it  seemed  that  my  life  hung  by  an  ex- 
ceedingly slender  thread,  and  often  I  shivered.  It  is  an 
exceedingly  wild-looking-place,  and  there  is  no  exit  or 
entrance  save  by  this  road.  No  lizard  could  climb  those 
dark,  glassy  walls.  I  said  to  the  driver  :  "  This  is  cer- 
tainly a  dangerous  place.  If  one  should  be  attacked  here, 
what  possible  chance  of  escape  ?  "  "  It  is  the  safest  place," 
said  he,  "  this  side  of  San  Antonio.,  No  Indians  were  ever 
knowij  to  enter  this  canyon.  They  want  a  chance  to 
retreat  and  slip  out,  like  other  warriors,  and  you'll  never 
catch  them  coming  into  this  trap." 

These  walls,  though  perpendicular  and  composed  of  the 
same  material,  are  never  columnar  like  the  Palisades,  but 


384     TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IK   TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK. 

are  solid,  massive  stone,  without  seam  or  rent.  It  is  one 
of  the  greatest  outpourings  of  igneous  matter  in  the  world. 
The  canyon  is  nearly  as  straight  as  a  bee-line,  and  seems  a 
most  singular  freak  of  nature.  Why  should  this  great 
mass  of  molten  volcanic  matter  have  separated  into  two 
long  perpendicular  walls,  leaving  the  deep,  smooth  vale 
between  ?  Did  the  Almighty  command  the  great  hissing 
fiery  mass  to  separate  and  stand  apart,  to  make  a  road  for 
coming  miah  through  the  mountains,  as  he  commanded 
the  waters  of  the  Dead  Sea  to  open  and  make  a  road  for 
Moses  ?  This  little  babbling  stream  could  never  have  cut 
this  vast  chasm  through  this  infinitely  compacted  stone. 
If  it  has  taken  the  tremendous  Niagara  seventy  thousand 
years  to  pound  its  way  seven  miles  through  seamed  and 
stratified  limestone,  how  long  would  it  take  this  brook  to 
wear  this  great  chasm,  fifteen  miles  long  and  often  a  thou- 
sand feet  deep,  through  solid  basalt  ?  I  estimate  thunder- 
ing Niagara  to  be  at  least  a  million  times  greater  than 
Limpia,  and  this  basalt  at  least  four  times  harder  than  the 
Niagara  limestone  ;  thus,  if  these  estimates  are  correct, 
and  Limpia  Canyon  has  been  cut  by  Limpia  Creek,  it  has 
taken  it  two  thousand  eight  hundred  millions  of  years  to 
do  the  job  I     Redudio  ad  ahsiirdum  ! 

Barilla  Sprikgs. — A  Norther  ok  the  Staked 
Plaik. 

The  Pass  opened  on  a  great  plain,  which  I  recognized 
at  once  as  my  old  familiar  friend,  the  Llano  Estacado.  At 
a  short  distance  we  stopped  at  Barilla  Springs,  to  change 
broncos  and  get  supper.  This  place  has  a  singularly  lone- 
some and  dejected  look,  as  if  it  had  lost  its  mother.  Look- 
ing around,  I  perceived  that  it  had  an  unusually  large 
cemetery  for  so  diminutive  a  population.  It  is  accounted 
as  a  sort  of  dead-hole,  a  place  of  danger,  and  these  graves 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   11^  TEXAS   Oi^T  HOESEBACK.     385 

mark  the  resting  place  of  travellers  or  employes  of  the 
stage  company  who  were  slain  by  Indians.  It  sits  under 
the  shadow  of  the  impenetrable  mountains,  from  whose 
cliffs  the  savages  may  spy  out  a  long  way  on  the  plain ; 
attacking  and  destroying  weak  parties,  and  hiding  from 
strong  ones.  It  was  with  a  feeling  of  relief  that  we  de- 
parted from  this  place,  riding  out  on  the  great  plain  in 
the  falling  darkness. 

At  eleven  o'clock  a  furious  norther  suddenly  leaped  in 
the  window  of  the  stage-coach,  and  saluted  us  with  a  whiff 
of  his  frozen  breath.  Instantly  the  windows  were  closed, 
and  I  wrapped  myself  up  in  overcoat  and  blankets,  but 
notwithstanding  all  the  weight  of  wool,  I  shook  and  suf- 
fered terribly.  The  norther  here  had  full  force  :  it  swept 
hundreds  of  miles  down  an  inclined  plane,  without  an 
obstacle  to  retard  its  impetuous  career.  I  judged  its  de- 
scent to  be  between  forty  and  fifty  miles  an  hour  :  an  in- 
cessant, pitiless,  frozen  torrent  of  wind.  For  much  of  the 
way  we  rode  athwart  this  torrent,  and  it  shrieked  and 
howled  among  the  iron  and  leather  fixtures  of  the  coach 
like  a  maniac.  The  broncos,  stung  with  cold,  became  fu- 
rious, and  dashed  over  the  plain  at  a  break-neck  speed,  which 
would  have  insured  our  destruction  had  it  been  elsewhere 
than  in  the  plain.  Eeached  Leon  Springs  at  three  p.  m. 
where  we  entered  an  adobe  house  and  warmed,  and  drank 
villainous  coffee  made  of  water  from  the  salty  lake. 


386     TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   II!^   TEXAS   OK    HORSEBACK. 


VIII. 

Slept  none.  Passed  Fort  Stockton  ;  passed  Escondido 
Springs  : — fountains  that  rise  on  the  great  plain  and  send 
away  a  beautiful  stream,  which  wanders  a  little  way  and 
is  lost.  Eeached  the  lordly,  silent  Pecos,  rolling  his  tur- 
bid flood  impetuously  as  of  old.  Crossed  on  a  pontoon 
bridge.  This  is  many  miles  above  where  I  crossed  it  west- 
ward bound.  Near  here  is  a  salt  lake  on  the  plain,  whose 
shores  and  bottom  are  said  to  be  pure  granulated  salt. 


IX. 

Bowled  onward  and  bowled  onward,  sleeping  little  or 
none.  It  takes  one  who  has  the  toughness  of  a  light-wood 
knot  to  stand  this.  Passed  Fort  Concho  ;  stopped  at  Ben 
Ficklen.  This  is  the  county-seat  of  Tom  Green  county — 
a  single  county  larger  than  some  entire  States.  Here  Ben 
Ficklen  of  the  ante-bellum  California  Overland  Mail  Line 
built  his  great  company-shops  at  a  cost  of  over  one  hun- 
dred thousand  dollars.  They  stand  quite  untenanted  on 
the  prairie.  Here  is  the  great  barley  farm  of  Texas,  em- 
bracing several  hundred  acres,  irrigated  from  the  Concho. 
Yield  said  to  be  from  fifty  to  seventy-five  bushels  per  acre. 
This  is  sold  to  government  for  use  of  the  cavalry  at  Fort 
Concho.- 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IN   TEXAS   ON   HORSEBACK.      387 

X. 

Bowled  on  and  bowled  on,  night  after  night  and  day 
after  day,  at  last  reaching  San  Antonio  after  five  days  and 
five  nights  of  continual  travel,  prostrated,  collasped,  and 
used  up  :  felt  that  I  had  been  dragged  through  briars  and 
beaten  with  soot  bags  :  felt  miserable,  intolerable  :  felt 
'worse  than  he  who  cometh  off  a  drunk.  Took  lodging  at 
a  delightful  hotel,  and  occupied  my  bed  thirty-nine  hours 
in  succession.     Got  enough  of  good  sleep  for  once.  * 


XL 

Took  stage  and  rattled  north-west.  Passed  New 
Braunfels  ;  passed  sparkling  Comal,  fairy  San  Marcos, 
proud-rolling  Guadalupe,  majestic  Colorado,  and  entered 
Austin,  eighty  miles,  the  capitol  of  Texas.  Had  a  m.ind 
to  call  on  Governor  Coke,  of  whom  I  had  heard  people 
speak  in  the  most  extravagant  praise.  If  this  gentleman 
does  not  become  President  of  the  United  States  he  will 
disappoint  thousands  of  admirers.  Austin  is  pretty — built 
on  more  hills  than  Eome,  and  they  are  all  picturesque. 
North  of  here  is  a  wild,  romantic  country  of  cedar-covered 
hills  and  mountains  :  in  other  directions,  a  prairie  that 
rolls  in  gigantic  undulations.  But  the  Capitol,  or  State 
House,  is  unworthy  all  this  beauty.  It  looks  like  an  old 
stone  box,  and  the  noble  hill  ?>n  which  it  stands  renders 
its  ugliness  the  more  conspicuous  and  deformed.  The 
grand  State  of  Texas  should  have  a  better  thing  than  that. 

*  When  I  made  this  trip  on  the  El  Paso  stage,  the  coaches  were  furnished  by 
Government  with  a  military  guard.  Afterwards  this  guard  was  withdrawn  for  a 
time,  and  the  quick  result  was  that  the  stage  was  attacked  near  Mustang  Water 
Holes,  the  driver  killed,  and  the  mails  robbed.  There  were  no  passengers.  All 
the  money  in  the  mails  was  taken,  but  checks  were  let  alone.  Indians  were  seen 
the  day  previous  on  the  Pecos.  This  leaves  little  doubt  that  they  were  from 
Mexico,  and  knew  the  value  of  greenbacks,  or  that  they  were  attended  by  white 
American  rascals,  which  is  not  unfrequently  the  case  with  these  Indian  raids 
into  Texas. 


xn. 


CONCLUSIOK. 

DID  not  visit  the  Governor,  as  my  clothes  were  too 
travel-worn  and  ragged.  But  jumped  on  the  Texas 
Central  and  whirled  southward  at  thirty  miles  an  hour. 
Arrived  in  Houston,  bronzed  and  begrimed,  and  was 
warmly  greeted  by  many  friends,  and  by  none  so  warmly 
and  cordially  as  those  who  had  dishonored  my  draft  and 
turned  me  out  to  starve  :  so  warm  were  they  that  I  could 
hardly  comprehend  that  they  had  dishonored  my  draft. 
^'  Ha  !  ha  !  ha  !  old  fellow,  are  you  back  at  last  ?  Ha  ! 
ha  !  ha !  that  was  a  wonderful  trip.''  And  though  my 
hands  had  grown  tough,  they  could  scarcely  stand  that 
squeeze. 

And  now  I  bid  him  that  hath  followed  me  adieu,  not 
without  some  regret.  If  it  has  been  as  pleasant  a  task  to 
him  to  read,  as  it  has  been  to  me  to  write  these  wanderings, 
it  is  reward  enough  for  me.  I  have  ridden  on  horseback 
all  over  Texas,  and  have  written  of  the  State  from  a  stand- 
point of  knowledge  thus  obtained,  and  therefore  the  title 
of  these  presents  is  not  a  misnomer.  See  how  unwil- 
lingly I  bid  you  adieu ;  and  judge  therefrom  how  glad  I 
shall  be  to  see  you  again,  ^^if  he  that  writeth  now 'may 
scribble  more.'^  , 


TWO   THOUSAND   MILES   IJs^   TEXAS   OK   HORSEBACK.     389 


A  NOTE  ON  BUFFALOES. 

While  writing  of  the  American  Bison  on  page"  283,  I  stated  that 
they  bring  forth  two  calves  at  a  birth.  I  gave  this  on  the  authority 
of  one  who  has  seen  much  more  of  the  buffalo  than  I  have — not 
without  much  doubt  of  its  correctness,  which  I  intended  to  express 
in  a  note  in  the  proper  place,  but  forgot  to  do  so.  If  the  statement 
is  correct,  all  who  have  written  of  the  buffalo,  as  far  as  I  have  ob- 
served, are  wrong,  and  it  would  be  a  remarkable  exception  to  the 
rule  in  the  hos  family.  It  is  probable  my  informant  was  led  into 
his  very  firm  belief  by  encountering  a  phenomenal  pair  of  buffalo 
twins.  Still  I  will  not  positively  contradict  him.  His  statement 
may  go  for  what  it  is  worth,  with  these  doubts  thrown  around  it. 

But  even  if  the  buffaloes  always  produced  twins,  it  would  not 
long  delay  their  inevitable  doom.  While  I  write — Dec.  5,  1877 — 
there  are  not  less  than  five  hundred  strangers  slaughtering  the 
buffalo  in  Texas,  besides  the  frontiersman  and  Indian.  It  is  a  con- 
tinual fusillade  upon  them,  and  the  great  plains  are  red  with  their 
blood.  A  large  part  of  this  slaughter  is  a  mere  wantonness.  It  is 
to  be  hoped  that  the  next  Texas  legislature  will  pass  a  law  to  stop 
these  destroyers.  The  buffalo  must  go  anyhow,  but  let  us  keep 
him  with  us  as  long  as  we  can. 


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